


Of Course It Blew Up

by HyperionIssued



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Borderlands 2, F/M, GoodDad!Jack, M/M, Not sure how to tag properly, Other, Reader Insert, bad language, basically an AU, if you know handsome jack you know bad stuff is going to happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-06-02 03:09:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 49,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6548224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperionIssued/pseuds/HyperionIssued
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"__________-"Dennison spoke almost on the verge of a whine. "Dennison, sweet pea, darling, bane of my existence! What did I say about touching my music?" You grunted and twisted something inside of the robot. "Y-yes but-" "But nothing!" You interrupted harshly. "If I have to take another god damn five minute break just to shove a grenade up your ass, I will not hesitate!" You threatened without looking back at him. "But H-Handsome Jack is-" "Yes! Yes! I am fully aware of the fact that Handsome Jack is going to be making an appearance sometime today to more than likely kill someone! Although considering how many times I've told you to piss off today, I might be the one shooting someone! If you'd stop interrupting me and touching my music, I would of had all of your shitty mistakes fixed two hours ago!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Near Death Experience

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic on here and I decided why not make it a Handsome Jack and Reader? There aren't enough of them and I know I can't be the only one who loves Handsome Jack. I tried to keep him as far from ooc as possible. I'm sorry if there are spots where he seems that way.

"Stupid fucking morons." Jack muttered to himself as the elevator took its sweet time carrying him to the tech floor. He was ready to make heads role because of their latest blunder. A new model of LoaderBot was supposed to be released yesterday. Unfortunately for the guys in tech, not only did the bots refuse to listen to any orders they were given, their arms were constantly popping off. It was clear someone was trying to work Jack over, and no one works Jack over without losing some brain matter. As the elevator came to a stop, he stood tall and adjusted his coat. Time to make someone pay.

He stepped out and every technician in the hall froze. "Hey, Kiddos! Who wants to enlighten me on what happened with the new LoaderBot?" He shouted at everyone that was in front of him. At least five people scampered into their collective offices and busied themselves. Everyone else looked down in shame and fear. "No one's going to speak up?" He was growing more angry by the second. Jack rolled his eyes and approached a shorter, and older looking man. Judging by his coat and the clothing underneath the coat, he was one of the head techs. He cowered behind his clip board. "You! What's your name?" The man whimpered as he was addressed by Handsome Jack. "I-I'm..." "Come on cupcake, I haven't got all day." Jack interrupted impatiently. The man tried to straighten himself out and speak more clearly but he wasn't doing too well of a job of that. "I'm H-Harold Dennison, Handsome Jack, s-sir." 

It was both amusing, and very irritating when people trembled and stuttered in fear. It was amusing because it made Jack feel truly superior. He was always superior but it was a nice reminder. Then, it was irritating because they were so slow with their answers. He was a busy man. He wanted shit to get done. 

"Mind telling me why the newest Loaderbot is total shit? This is the damn tech department, correct?" Dennison nodded his head hesitantly. "And your one job is to build these damn things, and make sure they don't fall apart, right?" Again the man nodded, slower and more fearful this time. "Then please tell me WHY THE DAMN BOTS CAN'T TAKE TWO DAMN STEPS WITHOUT LOSING AN ARM!" Everyone trembled and hid behind the closest object they could find. Dennison looked like he was about to piss himself then pass out. 

"W-well, you see sir... we um..." He just couldn't seem to find the words, and that was annoying. Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just take me to the one who caused this crap so I can shoot them." Dennison whimpered at the thought of being shot. "WELL?!" Jack yelled, completely about to lose his shit. "Ah! Yes sir! Right this way!" Dennison hastily made his way down the hallway, receiving looks of pity left and right. Jack was one step behind him, his strides long. They turned down two hallways and passed about three doors before Dennison finally stopped in front one of the rooms. Loud music could be heard from the other side of the door. Dennison glanced up at Jack whose arms were folded over his chest. His fingers tapped against his coat sleeve. 

Dennison swiped his card and the door opened. The loud music was now louder than before. Jack stepped into the room with the man to find you swaying your hips to the beat of the music while your hands were buried deep into the chest of one of the faulty Loaderbots. Jack watched you dance with surprise and amusement. Dennison reached over and shut the music off. Your hips stopped swaying but your attention was still on the Loaderbot. 

"__________-"Dennison spoke almost on the verge of a whine. "Dennison, sweet pea, darling, bane of my existence! What did I say about touching my music?" You grunted and twisted something inside of the robot. "Y-yes but-" "But nothing!" You interrupted harshly. "If I have to take another god damn five minute break just to shove a grenade up your ass, I will not hesitate!" You threatened without looking back at him. "But H-Handsome Jack is-" "Yes! Yes! I am fully aware of the fact that Handsome Jack is going to be making an appearance sometime today to more than likely kill someone! Although considering how many times I've told you to piss off today, I might be the one shooting someone! If you'd stop interrupting me and touching my music, I would of had all of your shitty mistakes fixed two hours ago!" 

Jack listened to the whole conversation. His head snapped down to the man as you said they were his mistakes. The man looked completely horrified. You grunted again as you lifted the chest piece of the LoaderBot up and set it into place. "See, Dennison. See how easy it was for me to fix this mess? It wouldn't have even had to happen if you hadn't tried to cut corners! Those make shift pieces of crap you tried to use couldn't even hold the weight of their own arms, but thanks to me, the arms should be the most stable part of this damn thing!" Dennison's face grew paler and paler as you went on, basically ratting him out. 

Handsome Jack whipped out his pistol and aimed at Dennison's forehead. Dennison only had time to gasp before Jack pulled the trigger. The loud bang made you jump and spin around. Your eyes were wide as you watched your co-workers body hit the ground. Handsome Jack let out a huff before looking at you. You looked up from Dennison at him. He gave a charming smirk and stepped over the body. "That was quite a show, now wasn't it?! I must admit, I've never seen someone so unintentionally rat out their co-worker before!" He swung his pistol about. 

Your eyes were trained on his gun. "And threatening to shove a grenade in his ass all because he turned your music off?! Amazing!" He chuckled, looking down at you. You tore your eyes away from his gun and looked at his face. His multi colored eyes met your ______ ones. "Well? You going to say anything, or are you too star struck?" 

You blinked then snapped out of your slight stupor. "Did you just shoot my co-worker?" He chuckled at your question. "Had to, cupcake. Can't have incompetent people like him cluttering up the place." You looked around him at the blood splattered on your wall and desk. That was annoying. "Let's forget that! It's the past! Now why don't you tell me your name?" He lowered his gun to his waist. He hadn't holstered it, which meant there was a good chance he was going to shoot you, but that was the last thing on your mind at that moment. "_________ ________... Did you seriously just shoot him in my office?" You asked more offended sounding this time. He rolled his eyes. "We've been over this. Yes. Don't tell me you're hard of-" You groaned. "Come on! Do you know how hard it is to clean up blood?" You scolded, forgetting who you were talking to. Jack was taken aback by what you said. 

"First I'm woken up at the butt crack of dawn to fix that moron's mistakes. Then while trying to fix his mistakes, he harasses me about music making it slower than it already was! And now I'm going to have to spend the rest of the damn day cleaning him off of my walls! You couldn't have shot him outside?!" You complained and rubbed your face. Jack was silent through out your entire rant. No one had scolded him like that in years!

You remained quiet for a long second before it occurred to you who you just yelled at. You tensed and looked at the man, taking note of the shock. "I-I... Uh.... Wow... I am so sorry about that. I didn't mean to scold you. I'm used to scolding them-" Jack's loud laughter filled the room, startling you. He gripped his side, unable to contain himself. You weren't sure if you were meant to take this as a good or bad thing. The smarter thing was to assume it was bad because, well... he was Handsome Jack after all. 

Handsome Jack finally managed to regain his self control after a few minutes. He chuckled and wiped a non existent tear from his eye. "Oh boy. I have not laughed that hard in weeks." You fiddled with your sleeve, unsure what to do or say. "You really know how to make someone laugh, __________." You gave an awkward smile. "I wasn't exactly trying to make anyone laugh...." Most people would be pissing themselves or trying to self induce a heart attack but you just felt awkward. "Uhm...." Time to change the subject because this was too uncomfortable. "W-would you like to see the improvements? I mean, you are here after all." You gestured to the Loaderbot behind you. 

Jack finally holstered his gun and crossed his arms. "Alright. Alright. But only because you amuse me." He encouraged. The phrase "amuse me" rubbed you the wrong way, but you chose not to ruin his good mood. You rolled up your sleeves, revealing your metal left arm. You noticed Jack look over it once. You continued on pressing a few buttons on your work table, it shifted and turned so the Loaderbot was up right. You activated the bot and waited patiently. 

The bot booted up and you smiled. "HELLO." It greeted. "Hey bud~. Have a nice nap? Good! Now I need you to something for me." You moved around Jack to your office chair. "Just walk over here for me." The bot pushed off of the table and stood upright. So far so good. "UNDERSTOOD." He moved towards you, his arms showing zero signs of weakening. "Good! Now for the final test to make sure they won't pop off again." You raised your hand up, waiting for a high five. The bot complied, raising his hand to yours. You smacked your metal palm against his much larger metal palm. "WOO! Yeah!" You turned towards the corpse in your office, hands on your hips. "I told you I'd fix 'em up! I didn't even break a sweat!" You hopped up and down until you heard your boss chuckle. 

Spinning on your heel, you faced him and cleared your throat. "Ahem.... As you can see, sir, I fixed him up. Just replace the shit parts and boom! Good as new!" You moved closer to the bot and looked at his arm sockets as a double check. Jack chuckled again. "You did good, cupcake." He to a step closer to you and set a hand on your shoulder. You looked at his hand then back at his face. "I'm proud of you. Really. Most of the people on Helios can hardly tie their shoes without messing it up. We need more people like you!" He rubbed his thumb against your shoulder. Wow, uncomfortable didn't even begin to describe how you felt. You weren't fond of being touched so comfortably by a stranger, nor did you like his halfhearted praise. You'd lived on Pandora long enough to know when someone was just bullshitting with you. 

"How about I give you a promotion? How does taking his job sound?" Jack referred to the dead body on your floor. The mention of promotion caught your attention until he pointed at your dead superior. You frowned and pulled away from Jack. "Ehhhh...... no offence but pass." "What?" Jack looked down at you sternly, clearly not expecting you to say no. You shrugged and looked over the Loaderbot. "As much as I appreciate the offer, taking his job is not a promotion. I'd rather be the one fixing other's mistakes than be the one blamed for causing them...." You looked at Handsome Jack and felt regret form in your stomach. His face screamed annoyed. "I-I mean!" You quickly tried to rephrase your words. "What I meant is, I'm more useful here! No one can do this job like I can. Moving me somewhere else would just be a hassle for you and then there would be no one to fix these problems." 

He seemed to ponder what you were saying. He was still frowning though. "You know what happened to the last person to say no-" "I'm not saying no!" You said hastily. "I'm merely trying to....." Crap. What could you say to make him calm down? "I'm trying to make things easier for YOU, sir. If I take his job, there would be no one here to catch those stupid mistakes people like him make. The only reason this one even slipped by me is because he thought he could get away with half-assing it. But I can keep that from happening! Keep from causing you any trouble!" You sounded like you were repeating yourself. Well, you were, but it seemed to be working. Jack removed his hand from his gun, which you hadn't even noticed he had been holding. 

He let out a short laugh and suddenly put his arm around your shoulders again. "You know what? I actually like you! You aren't afraid to tell me how it is. I can't bring myself to say no to that face." That last comment stunned you. "Alright. You can keep your current job..." You let your shoulder fall in relief. "But" He gripped your shoulder tightly, making you stiffen them again. "I also want you to be the one to bring me the reports. Any bugs, issues, etc. You bring them straight to my office. Think you can handle that?" He starred at you, a deadly glint in his eyes. Good thing you didn't plan on saying no this time. "Of coarse I can handle that, sir." You stated confidently. "That's the spirit!" He patted your back and moved towards the door. "And don't worry about the mess, kiddo, I'll send the cleaning crew down." He waved nonchalantly as he left. 

You stood there in silence for an entire minute. Loaderbot finally broke the silence. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" You didn't say anything, just nodded and walked to the door. "I-I'm going to lunch. Make sure they clean up everything." With that, you left. 

\--------------------

The cold cafeteria table felt nice against your face. You weren't sure how much time had passed since you sat down, but during that time, you greatly reconsidered your life choices. "______!" A familiar voice pulled you from your thoughts. You sat up just as your two friends sat at the table. "What are you doing? How long have you been here?" You set your elbow on the table and cupped your cheek. "I have no clue..." "Man, you look seriously out of it. Did something happen in the office today?" Doug, your friend from coding, questioned as he took a bite of his sandwich. "Well.... besides having a co-worker shot in my office. Nothing really." Doug and Shannon, your other friend from coding, halted and looked at you in shock. "WHAT?!" Doug shouted, making you wince. 

"Oh my god! You have to tell us what happened!" Shannon clung to your arm, her face an inch from yours. You rolled your eyes and took a deep breath. You expected this reaction. "Alright.... well... " You went on for the next ten minutes explaining everything that happened. During your story, Doug almost choked on his food because he was more interested in the story than to how much food he shoved into his face. Shannon gasped and clung tighter to your arm at random moments. 

"Then Handsome Jack just left, saying he'd send for a clean up crew." You finally finished your story. Your friends, and the three tables around you were dead silent. You glared at the other tables, making the other people who had been listen turn back to their lunch. Pulling your arm away from Shannon, you rubbed your temples. "I basically had three near death experiences all within an hour. I feel like I've aged by twenty years." A sigh left you as you slumped down in your chair. Doug and Shannon looked at one another before looking back at you. 

"The fact that you're even alive means either you are the luckiest person on Helios or there is some unseen force that has taken a liking to you." Doug stated with complete seriousness. You snorted and flicked his arm. "As if I'm lucky. I have to bring a report to Handsome Jack like once a week now. How is that lucky? What if I bring him a report that makes him fly off the handle? I just barely avoided death. I don't want to try to dodge it another five or six times." Shannon patted your back lightly. "Geez..... that's rough....." There was a long pause. "If you end up dying, can I have your chair?" "What no! I want _________'s chair!" Your friends glared at one another while you just frowned. "I'm so glad to see where your priorities are. I truly appreciate the concern."

They stopped glaring at one another and gave you a sympathetic look. "Maybe you're just over thinking this, ________. I mean..... You scolded Handsome Jack, denied his promotion offer, and still didn't get shot or thrown out an airlock. Maybe Jack actually likes you and wants you to stick around." Doug's attempt to comfort you didn't work. "If we weren't talking about Handsome Jack; you know the guys whose known for killing people just because they looked at him wrong, I might actually feel better." You put your face in your hands and mumbled. "We can't understand you when you do that." Shannon clarified for you, not that you weren't already aware of it. "I said I'm going to head back to the office. Hopefully, it's clean by now and I can just continue to work." You pushed away from the table and headed for the elevator. 

"Don't over think it!" Your friends shouted at you. You simply waved them off before getting into the elevator.


	2. To Growl Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You spun around and hurried back to him. "Give it! Give it! I'm already so freaking late!" You snagged the paper from him and quickly shoved it into its proper place. "God, you are a total life saver." You thanked him profusely. "I owe you a lunch." John snorted. "I'd say so." You gifted a smile then turned to leave. You took about five large strides, waving goodbye to John, until you slammed into a firm chest. You stumbled back, trying to catch the papers as they slipped from your hands. "Hey! Watch it asshole!" You snarled as you began to scoop up the papers. "You're so lucky I'm in too big of a hurry to see Handsome Jack to take the time to stop and make you deep throat a damn stun batooooo......n" You trailed off when you finally looked at the person who you ran into. It was Handsome Jack. Well, you were screwed.

It had been an entire week since the Handsome Jack incident. You'd actually thought you imagined the whole thing until Doug had reminded you it did, in fact, happen; also, you were supposed to have brought Jack's reports. Most of the work day had past by the time he had told you to hand over the reports to Handsome Jack. Curse your terrible memory. You ducked and weaved through the mass of co-workers taking up the hallways. There were two hours left in the work day. If you didn't get your butt up to his office, Jack was probably going to shoot someone, namely you. "Come on, move!" You shoved a man to the side and continued on towards the elevator. "Wait! _______! You forgot one!" John, your weird over friendly acquaintance, shouted at you from the other side end of the hallway. You stopped in your tracks and counted the papers in your arms. Crap. You did forget one. 

You spun around and hurried back to him. "Give it! Give it! I'm already so freaking late!" You snagged the paper from him and quickly shoved it into its proper place. "God, you are a total life saver." You thanked him profusely. "I owe you a lunch." John snorted. "I'd say so." You gifted a smile then turned to leave. You took about five large strides, waving goodbye to John, until you slammed into a firm chest. You stumbled back, trying to catch the papers as they slipped from your hands. "Hey! Watch it asshole!" You snarled as you began to scoop up the papers. "You're so lucky I'm in too big of a hurry to see Handsome Jack to take the time to stop and make you deep throat a damn stun batooooo......n" You trailed off when you finally looked at the person who you ran into. It was Handsome Jack. Well, you were screwed. 

"You've got balls of steel there, Pumpkin. Calling your boss an asshole, then threatening him. You really are a confident one." He mused at you, making you feel nervous. "Handsome Jack. Sir.... I didn't see you there..." Jack didn't seem amused. You gave an uneasy chuckle, looking around. "Um... May I ask why you're down here, sir?" You questioned. "Well, let's see. If I'm not mistaken, you were supposed to bring me the tech reports for the day and seeing its.... What time is it?" He glanced at one man, expecting an answer. "10:30, s-sir!" The man managed to stutter out. "10:30 and I still hadn't received a report." Jack continued from where he left off. "I was starting to think something happened to my FAVORITE little Tech nerd." 

Jack stepped closer, towering over you. "Wanna tell me why I had to walk all the way down here if you were perfectly fine?" His tone was threatening and chilling. You raised the papers up between the two of you. "I have the reports right here, sir. I was just on my way to-" "Yeah, yeah. That's great but that doesn't answer my question." He glowered at you. "Why weren't they delivered earlier?" 

To say you were afraid of Handsome Jack was a complete lie. Jack was scary and intimidating most of the time, but you'd been in much worst positions than this one. You couldn't really lie to him. He probably already knew you'd been in your office all day, just doing work. You weren't the best at lying, either. Your only option was to tell the truth and hope he'd either laugh or just punch you. At least you'd still be alive if he punched you. Taking in a deep breath, you looked up at him.

"I forgot." You whispered just loud enough for Jack to make out the words. "You what? I don't think I heard you correctly, because it sounded like you said you 'forgot'." he was so going to murder you. You sighed and let your shoulders slouch. "I forgot, okay?" Everyone around you, except for Jack, gasped in horror. "I only just remembered that I had to bring you this crap, and I've been running around for ten minutes now trying to get everything. It's not like I just stood in my work space and said 'Fuck Handsome Jack. I'm just going to pretend none of that stuff happened and go about my merry way!' I literally just forgot until the last minute." You rubbed your forehead. "Just be lucky I even remembered at all." That last statement made everyone gasp again and quickly take cover.

You sucked in a harsh breath when you registered everything you'd just said. You looked at Jack, expecting pure rage but instead got a slack jawed look. You weren't sure what emotion he was feeling. He looked in a mix of shock, surprise, stun, and maybe a little bit confused. Glancing around, you took note of everyone's terror. Were you supposed to be as terrified as them right now? Probably; but you weren't. You told your boss the complete truth. Well, you did it in an unprofessional manner, but at least you were freaking honest... Maybe you could have phrased literally everything better.

Hesitantly, you waved your hand in front of his face. "Handsome Jack, sir?" Without warning, Jack grabbed your arm and yanked you into the closest room. He pointed to the door. "OUT!" He yelled at the technicians in the room. They scrambled out instantly, shutting the door behind them. You tried to pry Jack off, but to no avail. Jack Shoved you hard against the wall, still gripping your wrist. 

"You know, Pumpkin, at first I thought that talk back attitude was kinda cute" He leaned in, while you pushed at his chest. "Now I find it very annoying." He was practically snarling at you. "When I said bring me the reports, I meant first thing in the morning. I didn't mean whenever you felt to be bothered!" "Let go!" You shouted. He slammed you against the wall again, making you stop struggling. "Hey! You listening?!" You cringed as he yelled. "I don't know who you think you are, but you... work for me! You don't talk back to me! Understand?! You do as I say, when I say it!" That last bit made you snap.

You were suddenly the one glaring. "Excuse me?!" His grip faltered when you shouted back. He hadn't expected that. You shoved him back and pushed off of the wall. "I am not a pet, and if you think I'll stand here and let you talk down to me, you are dead wrong, 'Handsome Jack'!" You said his name in a slightly mocking tone. "I was not talking back! I was just telling you the damn truth!" You jabbed his chest harshly with your cold metal finger as you stepped closer. "I thought if anyone could appreciate the damn truth, it'd be you! But no! Here we are in a room where you thought you could actually scare ME?!" He actually took a half step back as you went to jab him again. "I could have tried to lie to you! Would that have been better?! NO! I knew trying to lie to you would be pointless! You're too smart for that bullshit!" 

Jack tilted his head at that last part. Did you just compliment him in the midst of yelling at him? You crossed your arms over your chest. "I'm sorry I forgot about the stupid reports! I didn't mean to let it slip my mind, but Hey! I literally just watched you kill my co-worker when you told me about bringing you the reports! Who wouldn't have forgot about the damn reports?! Any normal person would be in therapy trying to forget the murder they'd witnessed!" You threw your hands in the air and turned your back to him. You were both silent for a long time. Jack just stared at you, completely blown away by everything that just transpired. You kept your back turned to him.

Jack finally spoke, his voice being low. "Woah..." He reached up, sweeping his hair back into place. "That.... that was something..... " You glared over shoulder at him. "I don't think anyone has yelled at me like that in.... years...." It was clear he was still dumbfounded by what happened. You were hardly in the mood to care. Without a word, you stormed towards the door, ready to leave. "Wait wait wait!" Jack grabbed your wrist again, actually being gentle this time. "What? If you're going to shoot me, then do it. If not, let go. I have work to do." You words were bitter. Jack looked like he wanted to say something but his mouth just hung open. He just couldn't find the right words. You rolled your eyes and pushed his hand off. 

When the door opened, you were greeted by the sight of your co-workers blocking your path. They seemed amazed you were still alive. "MOVE!" You roared and began to bulldoze your way through them. Those who didn't move in time, were knocked over. They watched you silently disappear around the corner before they turned their attention back to Handsome Jack. Jack managed to straighten himself out just as their eyes landed on him. "What are you looking at? Get back to work!" He barked. People tripped over one another to get as far away from the man as possible. 

"You!" Jack grabbed a man by the back of his collar. He pointed at the papers that had been left on the ground with his free hand. "Pick these up and deliver them to my office in five minutes. If they aren't there by that time, prepare to see how cold space really is!" Jack threatened before releasing the man. The man got on his knees and began to hastily pick up the papers. Jack stepped over the man and headed towards the elevator. He had to figure out what just happened. It felt like he'd just blacked out and dreampt up the whole thing. It was just to unusual for him to believe. 

\---

 

When you reached your office, you instantly locked the door. You didn't think anyone had followed you, but you didn't want to give anyone a chance to see what you were about to do. You walked to your desk, picking up a large wrench along the way. When you reached your desk, you raised the wrench high above your head and began to repeatedly hit the desk. You managed to break your stapler, keyboard, and dent your metal table five times within a minute. You were out of breath by then, but you still felt frustrated and angry. "Fucking-...GRAHHH!" You threw the wrench across the room. It crashed into something and knocked it over; you weren't sure what had been hit, and you didn't care.

After a second, you pulled your chair out and flopped down into it. You buried your face into your hands and sat in complete silence. All you could think about was Handsome Jack yelling at you. You also thought about the way you yelled back, and the look on his face when you'd finished. The whole thing was just so annoying. You were doing what he asked, just not as soon as he wanted it to be. He didn't give any certain time to bring the reports in. Why the hell did he suddenly have a bug up his ass about it? Who the hell knows? A groan escaped you, and you set your head on your desk. "Fuck him. I shouldn't have to apologize because he can't be calm for more than five seconds.... Asshole." You muttered the last part under your breath and shut your eyes. 

\-----

Jack trudged his way into his penthouse, still trying to comprehend what happened. Angel, his daughter, was sitting on the couch with her nose buried in a book when he entered the living room. "Hey, Dad." She said casually. Jack didn't say anything dragging his weight slowly across the room. He was too lost in thought. Angel looked up from her book, raising a brow. Jack usually threw a cheerful, 'Hey sweetie' her way when he got home. She set her book down and watched him. "You okay?" "...Huh?" He finally snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. "I asked if you were okay. You seem really out of it." She pulled her legs in close to her chest resting her arms onto her knees, making room for her dad to sit. Jack fell back on the couch and sighed. He could feel his daughter's eyes on him. No point in trying to hide it, well, he couldn't hide it even if he wanted too. If Angel wanted to know something, she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted.

"I waited all day for a report from the Tech labs, but no one showed. So I finally went down and ran into the one who was supposed to bring them to me." Jack rubbed his eyes as he spoke. "I asked them why I had to make the trip down there to get it, and the answer I got was, 'I forgot'". Angel moved closer with interest. "Of course I wasn't too happy about that, so I asked them what they meant by 'they forgot'. They then went off, saying that they'd just barely remembered and all of that crap. It wasn't like the normal excuses. It was the truth, I guess." He glanced at his daughter, noticing the interest on her face. He continued. "I got even more angry because it sounded like they were talking back to me. So I pull 'em into one of the rooms and-" "You didn't kill them, did you?" Angel asked. The concern in her voice made him chuckle. "No, baby, I didn't. I just yelled at them." "Oh." A small sigh relief came from Angel. 

"Well, half way through yelling at 'em, they began to yell back!" He exclaimed. Angel's face went from curious to surprised. "I know right! They yelled back... At me! I mean, like really went off on me! They even poked my chest a couple times!" Jack rubbed one of the spots you had jabbed. "Wow, Dad.... What did you say?" Angel questioned. "I said that when I first met them, I thought the talking back was cute, but it was starting to get on my nerves. And something along the lines of doing stuff when I say to do it. They just snapped and told me off. Saying things like they weren't a pet I could command around and look down on. They said they hadn't been talking back, just telling me the truth... And Stuff like that." 

Jack sat up. "Then, about half way through their rant, they complimented me by saying I was, 'too smart to be lied to.'" Angel snorted at this. "Of course a compliment would catch your attention." "Shh!" He said in a joking manner. "When they'd finished, (s)he turned their back to me and we just stood there. I was so shocked, I didn't even know what to say. No one, literally no one, has ever dared to talk to me like that in years! What was I supposed to say?" Angel gave a shrug in response. "After like two minutes of sitting in silence, they made their way to the door. I tried to stopped 'em, but I still wasn't sure what to say. So, they turned their head back to me, and guess what was said?" "What did they tell you?" Jack turned his body to face Angel. "They literally said, word for word, 'If you're going to shoot me, then do it. If not, let go. I have work to do.' Then they just stormed off!" 

Angel was even more surprised by this. She'd never heard of an employee talking this way to her dad before. She was now very interested in meeting you. Jack sat back in his spot and sighed. "Like, Angel, it was so unreal, I'm not even sure if it actually happened.... Well... it did happen, but it's something I never thought would happen!" Jack leaned towards Angel, resting his head on her shoulder. "I have no clue what to make of what happened. Normally, I'd shot someone for saying anything close to what they said, but instead I just thought..... 'damn you're kinda sexy'." "EW DAD!" Angel shoved Jack's side. "Don't be gross! He laughed and poked her side. "What? Don't like the idea of your old man getting turned on from being yelled at?" Angel made a fake gag noise and shoved him off of her shoulder. "Stop, Dad! Seriously! I don't need to be emotionally scarred like this!" Jack laughed even harder. "Alright, alright. I'll stop."

Getting up from the couch, Jack stretched his arms above his head until his shoulders and back popped. "I think I'm going to go try and get some sleep, Angel. Work was tiring and weird, to say the least. I'd advise you get to bed as well. It's almost midnight." Angel rolled her eyes and snorted. As if she'd go to bed at midnight. She was more likely to stay awake all night with her face hidden behind that book. Jack bent over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Night, baby." "Night, Dad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a more relaxing one since this one was so eventful. I should have it up within the week~


	3. A Minute Of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm from Pandora, remember? Eye scooping and skin pizza are an everyday thing." Doug gagged at the thought of skin pizza. "You promised not to mention that again!" He shoved his meal away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to keep this chapter more on the calm side since a lot sorta happens in the first two chapters.

You starred off into the distance, lost deep in your thought. Shannon and Doug were arguing about something right beside you but you'd managed to out their voices. The thought of you yelling at Jack was all that you could think about the past three days. His face was etched into your mind. He had looked so bewildered that you'd argued back. Had it really been that abnormal to have someone yell at him? You thought he'd be used to being yelled at. He was the head of Hyperion; anyone is his position was probably yelled at constantly. Maybe it had been the way that you had yelled at him? Even as you quarreled with him, you still sounded casual. Your entire section of the disagreement sounded like you were just snapping at one of your friends, while his sounded like a boss snapping at an employee... or a pet and their master. You shuddered at the thought of being treated like a pet. Gross. 

Judging by his reaction, he expected you to just sit there and take it. As if you'd let that happen. This was the exact reason you generally confined yourself in your office with loud music. Talking to normal people was unfavorable, but people like Jack made it hell. You pierced your lips. He was your boss, and you did act very unprofessional. You should probably apologize, or at least deliver the reports sooner next time. His job was more stressful than yours. He didn't need someone like you giving him lip because you couldn't get something so simple done...

"Ugh." You groaned and leaned towards Shannon. As your head rested on her shoulder, she stopped arguing with Doug. They both turned their attention to you. "Still thinking about what happened?" Shannon questioned. You just nodded and nuzzled her shoulder. Doug gave an apologetic look while Shannon ran her hand lightly through your hair. They were the only two you'd ever allow to look or let alone touch you in such a manner. "I know it was scary man but I didn't think it would still be effecting you so badly." You scrunched up your face when you heard the word 'scary'. 

"Scary? Pfft. It wasn't scary and that's not at all what's bothering me." You pulled away from Shannon and rested your cheek in your hand. "What do you mean it wasn't scary? You literally argued with our boss. The guy known for scooping a guys eyes out with a spoon." Doug countered your previous statement. You just rolled your eyes and snorted. "That story would be three times scarier if it had been a spork." Your friends rolled their eyes. "You're soooooo tough." Shannon mocked. You sent a playful glare her way. 

"I'm from Pandora, remember? Eye scooping and skin pizza are an everyday thing." Doug gagged at the thought of skin pizza. "You promised not to mention that again!" He shoved his meal away from him. You chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. I forgot how weak your stomach was. You and everyone else's stomach." "Sorry we all can't be from Pandora." You scowled. "Don't talk about that shit planet like it's a good place to be from." Shannon glared at Doug for bringing it up. He put his hands up in defense. You hated Pandora probably as much as Handsome Jack did. It was terrible. If something was trying to kill you, it was more then likely trying to eat you as well. You sighed and raised your coffee to your lips. 

Just as the hot liquid reached your tongue, someone touched your shoulder. You swallowed what little you managed to get and looked up. A girl with black hair and tired looking eyes stood before you. "Hi." She greeted you with small, sweet smile. You hesitantly greeted her back. "Hi?" There was an awkward pause. "Can I help you?" You tried your hardest to not sound like an asshole. She didn't seem to care either way. "Oh! Yeah right. I'm a new assistant... your assistant." She stated it all so calmly. Shannon and Doug looked at you. "You never said you were getting a new assistant." You looked from your friends back to the girl. "I was never told I was getting an assistant. Hell, I don't even think I asked for one." You rose a curious brow, looking her over. She quickly cleared her throat, making you look back to her face. "I'm new on Hyperion. The guy that I was supposed to be an assistant for is uh.... dead as of like a week and a half ago. They just said to go to you." 

All that crossed your mind was Dennison. That old creep really didn't need someone as young as her around him. Good thing he was dead. 

A low sigh came from you as you stood. "Well.... I wasn't exactly expecting this but I guess there isn't any getting around this. I'm _________ _________. You can just call me ______ though." You held out your hand to her. She took your hand in hers and smiled. "I'm Angel.... Lawrence. Just call me Angel." You released her hand and gestured to the empty seat at the table. "Have you eaten yet, Angel? You can sit with us." She quickly shook her head. "I was actually hoping we could go to the lab and y'know. Fix stuff." She seemed to be in a hurry, which was weird. 

"Excited to start work? Great. Try to keep that attitude." You looked at your friends as you picked up your coffee. "Guess I'm heading back to the tech labs. See you guys later." Shannon waved goodbye as you and Angel headed towards the elevator. Doug watched Angel carefully. "Does she look familiar to you?" He questioned Shannon. He got a hard nod in response. "That's Jack's daughter. You know, the one we always see at the annual Hyperion party? She's always like... within ten feet of Handsome Jack." Doug's jaw dropped. "Why didn't you say anything! Do you want ________'s chair that badly?" Shannon shrugged. "I don't think anything bad will happen." "It's handsome Jack's daughter. He doesn't let anyone near her except for at those parties. Any other time, no one sees her." Doug bit his nails. Shannon patted his back to sooth him. "Don't worry so much. Jack wouldn't kill _______ while Angel is there." 

Doug glowered at his friend. "What about after Angel leaves?" Shannon paused, biting the inside of her lip. "What Jack doesn't know, won't hurt him." She stated it hastily then went back to her food, trying to ignore the look she was getting from Doug. 

\----

The ride down to tech up until your office was mostly quiet. You weren't really sure what to talk about seeing as how this is not what you planned on happening today. Angel was mostly lost in amazement as they passed other people's work stations. "You know, you remind me of me when I first showed up here. Eager to see all of it. I assume you're from Pandora? Maybe?" You questioned as you swiped your card and stepped into your office. "P-Pandora?" She seem startled by the question. "N-no. why are you from Pandora?" Angel quickly made the subject about you. You shrugged and nodded. "Yup. Born and raised. Came up here when I was 19." 

You picked up a smaller tool and held it out to Angel. "I don't really know how assistants work in this sorta situation so... I guess just show me what you can do." Angel took the tool, eyes beaming with excitement. "You want to me to actually use these tools?" You chuckled at the cheerful gleam in her eyes. "Well, yeah. Its not like I'm going to use you as an errand girl and fetch me coffee. I assume the best place for a technician assistant is in the office with me, helping me fix other people's crap." She gripped the tool tightly. She was to cute. "Okay! What are you working on?!" She was practically screaming at you. 

"Calm down, sweetness. We're just trying to revamp this old model of pistol that didn't make the cut." You moved closer to the desk where the gun rested. "It had to much potential to just completely be disregarded. The only real issues with it was the terrible kick and the barrel getting to hot after a couple of shots." Angel moved closer and looked the gun over. "How are we going to fix it?" She lifted it up and looked at closer. You couldn't help but smile. "Well, we fix the kick. The few people who tested it said it had the same kick a shot gun has, which is way to strong for a pistol. If you tried to shoot it, it would launch back and smack you in the face... May even break your nose." 

Rolling up your sleeves, you picked up a different tool and leaned over the table. "I'm thinking it might be-" You were cut off as Angel snagged your metal arm. "Woah!" Her eyes were wide as they scanned over it. "You have a cybernetic arm! Look at it! You keep it so clean and up-to-date!" Her gushing was adorable. You chuckled, bringing her back from her dazed excitement. "You really should ask before you go grabbing someone." She released your arm and muttered an apology. You laughed. "It's okay. I"m only teasing." 

You held out your arm to her. "I don't mind you looking at it. Its not that big of a deal. Just give me a heads up next time." You reassured her. Angel was to busy looking over your arm to really hear anything you said. God she was sweet. "Can I see it all?" You nodded. She eagerly rolled the sleeve up to your shoulder. Angel was just like you when you came to Helios. You love technology. All of it. Building it, taking it apart, testing it. It was thrilling. The thrilling bit of it never changed, just now it was accompanied by the stupidity of others. 

Angel pushed your sleeve just high enough to see the socket and flinched when she noticed the scars under the metal. You gave a soft smile. "Don't worry about that." You pulled the sleeve back down. "Enough about my arm. I thought you wanted to fix this gun!" You had to change the subject before she asked about you getting this arm. Angel got the hint and turned her excitement back to the gun.

 

\-----

Jack caught himself spacing out again for the seventh time that day. His hands were stalled above his keyboard. He kept thinking about the way you snapped back. The way you told him off. The way you talked as though you were friends just bickering. It was.... amazing, infuriating, thrilling, and over all, just plain sexy! Jack shook his head, trying to concentrate on his work. he glanced at the time then back at his work. He had hardly gotten anything done the past four hours. "Ugh! What a pain... Maybe giving Angel a quick call could make me forget everything for.... at least an hour." 

Opening up his comm, Jack called Angel. It rang and rang then just ended. Jack sucked in a breath and called again. To say he was panicking a little was an understatement. Angel was his world. His everything. He constantly worried about her. "Come on. Answer!" He slammed his fist against the desk as it continued to ring. Finally she answered. "Hi dad!" She spoke in a breathy tone and looked like she had just worked out. He let out a sigh of relief as she appeared on the screen. "Hey baby. You about gave me a heart attac-?" Jack paused at the sound of music in the background. "Are... are you listening to music?"

\---- 

Angel had been dancing with you, when her comm went off the first time. She bumped her hip against yours and laughed. Neither of you were entirely sure when the dancing started but you hardly cared. It was just some up beat tune playing but it was enough to make things ease between the two of you. She finally noticed her comm vibrating across the desk the second time it went off. She muttered an "oh crap" under her breath before she quickly scooped it up. You turned the music down enough so she could talk to whomever was calling her. 

You picked up your cold coffee and moved closer. "Hi dad!" She greeted the caller. So it was her dad? Did he work here too? You knew you should have just waited for the call to end but your curiosity got the better of you. You walked back to the desk as casually as possible, peaking at her comm to see who it was. You were forcing yourself to drink the cold coffee to make it more convincing. 

"Are..... Are you listening to music?" You recognized that face. Angel had a nervous look to her. "Baby? Where are you? You look like your-" When you finally could see the face on the comm, you came to a complete stop. Just as you noticed him, Jack noticed you standing behind Angel. "_______!" He shouted. You suddenly spat coffee all over you desk and began to choke. Angel hastily set the comm down, making sure it was still facing her. She patted your back, trying to help you as much as she could. You were gripping the table with one hand while the other was covering your mouth. 

"Angel! Why is _______ there?! Where are you!" Jack was clearly mad, but not mad like he had been at you the other day. He was mad like a dad would be. Through your coughs, you managed to get a few words out. "You're Jack's-" Cough. "Jack's daughter?!" You coughed again and smacked your chest. Angel looked from you back to the comm. Whelp, she's caught now. "Angel! Why are you with ______?" Jack shouted again. Angel stepped away from you and scooped up the comm. "Well... you talked about them so much the other day and you made ______ sound so interesting. I had to come and, y'know, check 'em out..... And I may have just wanted to see the tech labs." She whispered the last bit.

You had finally managed to stop choking. You cleared your throat and let out a final small cough. "What do you mean check them out?" Jack questioned. Angel opened her mouth but Jack cut her off. "Never mind that! Why the hell are you even down there? You know you're not supposed to go anywhere without me! What if something happened to you!" Angel merely flinched as she was scolded. Jack was obviously an over protective dad. You could just hear the worry in his voice. 

"I've been with ________! Nothing bad has happened!" Angel tried to defend herself. "That doesn't matter!" He continued to scold. "You hardly know them! What if they did something to you!" You snapped your head towards the comm with that remark. Instinctively, you put your arm around Angel's shoulders and pulled her close. "And what is that supposed to mean?!" Angel eased slightly at your touch. "I could have done something to her?! Rude! We've been having a blast down here! Hell, she even helped me fix this damn pistol you insisted we keep!" You pointed at the gun on the table. 

"You had a gun!" Jack fumed even more. "You could have shot her! She could have shot herself!" You rolled your eyes. "She could shoot herself." You mocked. "As if! You need to give her more credit!" You pointed at the comm. Angel was suddenly beaming at what you said. "How dare you try to tell me how to rai-" Angel's hands suddenly went up. "Wait! Please! Calm down!" You both stopped and starred at her. 

"Please don't argue..." She pleaded. You glanced at Jack on the comm before nodding. "Alright." Jack complied as well. "Good. Now dad..." Angel turned her attention to her dad. "I came here on my own accord. ________ had nothing to do with this. You always talk about work and meeting people, even if they are kinda stupid people. And when you mentioned _________ and how you thought they were amazing, I couldn't help it!" Now your attention was focused on Jack. "I didn't say those exact words..." He muttered out quickly, trying to play it off. "But that doesn't change the fact you left without telling me! You can't just up and leave!" Jack scolded in a softer tone this time.

"I know... And it won't happen again. I just wanted to meet ______. I was just going to meet them then head back but then they showed me their work station and... I.... I couldn't help it. They let me help fix a gun. The let me use tools! They let me look at their arm!" Jack cracked a smile at the mention of your arm. "I'm sorry dad..." Angel whispered out, putting on the puppy eyes. Even you felt weak to her puppy eyes. Jack sighed and relaxed his tensed shoulders. "You're not.... In trouble... I just worry." This was getting a bit to sentimental and personal. You cleared your throat to make your presence known again. 

"Um, you know... I don't mind having Angel down here with me." Angel and Jack looked at you, Jack more skeptical than his daughter. "Here me out on this. Angel does amazing work. She's just as good as I am with this stuff." You smiled at her. "And I'm the only one who uses this room. No one comes in here except for me... Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to let angel work with me?" Angel was practically glowing. She looked at her comm to gauge her Dad's reaction. He didn't seem amused. You sighed. "Just think about it. Angel wants to be out and about but you don't want her wandering all around Helios, right? Angel wants to work on the stuff I work on but you don't want her to get hurt, right? Well, then why not put her with me? I'll be the only one besides you who interacts with her and if one of the guns or bots I'm fixing is too dangerous, I'll just give her something else to work on or just send her back home."

Jack glanced from you to his daughter and back to you. He pondered, It was clear he was reluctant. You nudged Angel's side, encouraging her to make her puppy eyes. She understood and began to make those eyes at Jack. "Don't think that the....." Angel jutted our her lower lip. "Don't.... uh...." You could tell by the look on his face he wasn't going to tell her now. He threw his arms up. "Alright! Fine! You can work with ________.... But only because I can't say no to that sweet Angel face." 

"Yes!" Angel squealed happily. She pulled the comm closer and smiled at Jack. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Jack chuckled. You tried to hide your grin but failed. "Yeah yeah. I know... I spoil you to much, pumpkin." Jack tried to play it off again. Angel giggled slightly. "Thank you, dad... I'll be home in an hour." Jack finally smiled, a genuine smile. He had charming smile, when it was real and not forced. "_______. Don't let Angel get hurt or else-" "I know. I'll get thrown out an airlock. I'll have my eye scooped out. You shoot me. You're scary. I get it." You rolled your eyes. "I'm not going to let anything happen to her. I promise." You stated it confidently. 

Jack didn't seem as stunned by your sass this time. He looked as though he expected it. Jack turned his attention back to Angel. "Alright. Be careful Angel. I love you." Angel smiled. "I love you too." After that, Angel ended the call and just stood there. She was letting everything that just occurred sink in. You put your hands in your coat pockets. "Angel? You okay-" The girl was suddenly hugging you with full force. Her arms wound tightly around your waist. You stumbled slightly but managed to steady yourself with the table. "Thank you so much. It means... so much to me." You were stunned at first by the random hug but you slowly relaxed into it and set your hand on her back. 

"Locking you away in some room doesn't sound fair to me. I couldn't just let you go back to staying indoors all the time. Not after seeing you in action." You hugged her back now. "Plus, I see to much of myself in you. We both know you'd just end up sneaking out again. This way you don't have to sneak. You can just come and go as you please." The thought of being cooped up made you uneasy. The thought of someone like Angel being cooped up made that feeling worse. She had so much talent. She needed to use it.

Angel pulled back and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Thank you again." "Stop thanking me, Angel. I just did what I thought would make you happiest." You smiled at her. "Now enough of the sappy stuff. We need to finish this gun." Angel nodded in agreement before picking up one of the tools from before. You chuckled and moved aside so she could work. 

\------ 

Jack pushed the front door open and took one step before Angel pounced on him. Her arms wrapped around his neck. "Angel!" He stumbled and fell back. He made a small 'oof' as Angel landed on him. "Geez baby. Give me some warning next time." He chuckled and sat up a little. Angel just squeezed him tighter. She shoved her face into his shoulder and mumbled. "Thank you." It took Jack a moment to process what she said. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back. "I spoil you way to much." He nuzzled into her hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, they aren't going to bicker in every chapter. They have to slowly like each other.


	4. Sucker Punch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I bet you'd look pretty damn good holding my pistol. I wouldn't mind letting you use it." Jack suggested with a slight eyebrow wiggle. "I really hope you're talking about your gun." "That's for you to decide." Jack winked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. The next one will hopefully be out sooner.

Your first week with Angel in the office was a little difficult. You forgot almost every day that she was now your assistant. She always greeted you with a happy smile. It was actually quite nice having her around. She knew when to talk and when to just do her work. She danced with you when you turned your music on. You even let her pick some of the songs. Angel was a blessing; she had even helped you collect your reports every week.

\-----

You stood in front of Jack's office, papers in hand. You actually managed to remember them; on time even! You were patting yourself on the back mentally. You took in a deep breath, then knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open. Jack was at the other end of the room, his eyes fixated on his computer screen. You don't think he heard you knock. You didn't expect anything else. Shutting the door behind you, you made your way towards his desk. You took note of everything in his office. The chairs, statue, etc. What really caught your attention every time you came was the window behind him.

Elpis was all you could really see, but it was a beautiful view none the less. Elpis was just as terrifying as Pandora, but at least it had a somewhat romantic appearance to it. Pandora was just a bland, red rock. You stopped in front of Jack's desk, tearing your eyes away from the moon to look at him. "Handsome Jack, sir?" Jack's concentration was lost when he heard your voice. He glanced up from the screen to you. You offered a small smile. "I brought you the reports as usual." You held them out to him. Jack took them from you and gave his notorious "charming" smile. Ugh. You hated that smile; the ones he gave Angel were much better. They were real, and much more appealing. 

"Thanks, Pumpkin. It's good to see you're still getting here before midnight." He commented in a sarcastic tone as he flipped through the papers. You rolled your eyes and folded your arms. "I said I was sorry like three times." Jack chuckled. You relaxed your shoulders. After what happened with Angel three weeks back, talking to Jack was much easier. You didn't regret the way you talked with him as much. He seemed to expect and, more or less, enjoy your sass. "Is there anything else you need, sir? If not, I can let you get back to work." Jack set the papers down and stood up from his desk. 

"You're always so eager to get back to work. Why don't you take a seat and relax for a minute?" He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. You glanced down at the chair before folding your arms over your chest. "Am I in trouble?" It was odd for Jack to want to spend time with you, let alone anyone other than Angel. You couldn't think of anything that would get him to be mad at you. You'd been careful with Angel while she was with you, so it couldn't have been that. 

Jack chuckled and stepped around the desk. "Of course not. We both know if I was mad, you'd be dead." He reassured you. You merely rolled your eyes. As if he'd kill you at this point. Angel would be so upset over it. "Uh huh.... So then what do you want?" You watched as Jack moved closer to you. "I just want to get to know you a little. You are spending every day with my daughter. I see you at least once or twice a week. We should at least know a little about one another." That was strange, but you'd bite, just for the sake of keeping him happy. "That doesn't sound ominous at all, but alright." Jack gave a pleased smile. "What exactly did you want to know? I'm pretty sure Angel tells you everything I tell her so...." You noticed Jack looking you up and down. When you stopped talking, he forced his eyes back up to your face. You had a brow raised. 

He cleared his throat. "How about where you're from?" Wow, what a typical question. You sighed a little. "Pandora. I'm not really from any town on Pandora." Jack gave a questioning look. "You're profile says your from New Haven?" You chuckled. "You actually believe the stuff on my profile? Only like one third of it is accurate." You chuckled again. Jack stepped closer. "Really now?" You nodded. "Yup. When you live in a small house in the middle of literal no where with no redeeming family members, you have to make stuff up. It was, more or less, Tassiter's idea. I just rolled with it because I was young and just really wanted off of that crap planet." Jack circled around you, taking in everything you told him. 

"And no one had a problem with this?" He questioned. You stepped away from him slightly as he circled. "Nope. Well, some people had an issue with it, but Tassiter gave them the pink slip. After that, people kept their mouths shut." You shrugged. Jack stood behind you, nodding his head as he listened. "Interesting." You turned to face him. "Tell me about your previous jobs. There are a few mentioned but since only one third of your information is correct, might as well ask." You thought it over. "Eh. Most of those are actually correct. That's the one third right there. Besides the basic stuff like eye color and such." "Which ones were lies?" He prodded. "The ones that involve being an assistant. I have never been anyone's assistant." 

"I can see why." Jack commented in a joking tone. You chuckled dryly. "Ask something else." You watched him as he thought for a moment. "Alright. How about you tell me why you wanted Angel to work with you?" You could just tell by his tone that he had been waiting this entire time to ask that. He had merely been breaking the ice with the prior questions. "Well, I like Angel. She's smart and sweet." Jack tilted his head. "So you like my daughter?" It took you a moment to understand what he was asking. When it clicked you were suddenly laughing. "Oh my god! No! Not like that!" You covered your mouth as you continued to laugh. You laughed for a solid minute before composing yourself. 

"I meant that I see potential in Angel. She can do amazing things. Plus, she wanted to work with me. She has a passion for it. I liked that about her." You let out a small chuckle. "I can't believe you opted to me having a crush on your daughter. She's too young for me. You're more my speed." You wanted to take back the last part as soon as it left your mouth. Jack looked surprised. He smirked and began to move closer. You walked backwards as he moved forwards. "So you're saying you like me now?" You moved back until you were against his desk. Jack was maybe a foot away from you. 

"T-that's not what I meant!" You tried to protest. It really wasn't what you had meant, but he didn't seem to buy that. "Oh really? Then what did you mean, Pumpkin?" Jack's normal smirk became a more flirty one. No, no, no! He was going to attempt to flirt with you. You were far too awkward for that. Why did you say he was more of your thing?! Why?! Jack set his hands on his desk, boxing you in. You felt very awkward and uncomfortable. This had not been how you saw your day going; every day you had to spend with Jack was unexpected. 

Just as you opened your mouth to hopefully fix the distressing situation, Jack's office door was slammed open. "You can't just barge-" The secretary was cut off by a man's voice. "There you are, you son of a bitch!" Jack groaned and moved away from you. You let out a sigh of relief. The secretary looked nervous as the man stormed towards Jack. She tried to block his path. "Please, sir. Handsome Jack is-"she was too quiet for her own good, and the man didn't seem to care about her pleas. He shoved her away, making her fall back on her ass. You and Jack both scowled at this. "You monster! You killed him!" Jack crossed his arms. "You're going to have to be more specific. I kill a lot of people everyday." Jack seemed very uninterested. You pushed off of his desk and moved closer. 

"He was my brother! He'd been working here for years. Long before you took over!" The man pointed a threatening finger at Jack. "You killed him over a month ago, over a stupid mistake!" "If it was a mistake, then he deserved it. I don't have time for mistakes." Jack spoke coldly, already annoyed by this strangers presence. "He was one of the head technicians! His name was Harold-" "Dennison." You cut in. Jack and the man looked at you. "You're here... because of Harold Dennison."

The man's eyes darted down to your name tag. "YOU!" He stepped closer to you. "You're the idiot that got him killed!" He was instantly in your face. "He got killed because you couldn't keep your damn mouth shut like a good Pandoran rat!" You were glaring at him now. Jack looked from the man to you and back to him. "It was hardly my fault. Your idiot brother ruined an entire line of loader bots because he wanted to cut corners!" You snarled at the man. "And it was your job to just fix the damn thing, but you ran your mouth instead! You were the one who should have been shot!" He snarled back. "Hey now, kiddos. That's enough! You're here to yell at-" Jack tried to move the man's focus back to him, but was interrupted. "You shut up! I'm going to deal with this piece of Pandora trash, then I'll deal with-" 

Your metal fist connected with the man's nose before he could finish. He landed on his back a second later. Jack looked at the man on the ground then back to you, impressed by your sucker punch. "I dare you to get back up, asshole." You growled at the man, forgetting your boss was literally three feet away from you. The man didn't move. He was out. Good. He was getting on your nerves. Being rude to the secretary, blaming you for his brother's demise, and calling you Pandoran trash. You wouldn't let anyone get away with that.

"Wow ________." Jack's voice brought you back from your angry thoughts. You cleared your throat and straightened your lab coat, looking away from Jack. That was embarrassing, to say the least. You were usually so good at keeping your temper in check, but this guy flat out needed a good hit to the face. "S-sorry about that." You mumbled out softly. You suddenly felt an arm around your shoulders. "Are you kidding me?! That guy deserved it!" Jack laughed and squeezed your shoulder. "For a second there, I thought I was going to have to forcefully shut him up, but you beat me to it!" He laughed harder. This was a genuine laugh, not a stupid, halfhearted chuckle followed by a cheesy, fake smirk. You liked this laugh.

"Not to mention, that was a little on the sexy side." Jack glanced down at you, his flirty smile back in place. You groaned internally. Why the flirting? You pushed his arm off and walked over to the man on the ground. "What are you going to do with him? I hit him pretty hard, so I don't think he'll be up for a while." Jack pondered while you crouched down beside the guy. You poked his side, a bored look on your face. Passing out after a simple punch. Geez, what a weakling. Your thoughts were suddenly interrupted. "I bet you'd look pretty damn good holding my pistol. I wouldn't mind letting you use it." Jack suggested with a slight eyebrow wiggle. "I really hope you're talking about your gun." "That's for you to decide." Jack winked. 

You stood and headed towards the door. "Alright. It's been fun, but I have work to do, and you have an asshole to kill." "Don't be like that, Pumpkin." Jack tried to call you back, but you were already pulling the door open. "Bye Jack." You shut the door behind you and rushed to the elevator. You could not get out of there fast enough. You felt too awkward and confused by everything. You hit a guy in the face in front of your boss and instead of being yelled at... "I can't believe he suggested I hold his..." You shook your head and mashed the elevator button repeatedly. "Let me leave!" You frantically mumbled to yourself. The doors slowly shut and you let out a long sigh. 

Jack turned his head to the girl on the floor. Her eyes widened as Handsome Jack stepped over the man clocked out on his office floor. "I forgot you were the room, kitten." Jack's expression went from his grin to some what of a frown. "I-I didn't see anything!" she whimpered. "You had better be sure, or I can see it arranged you will never 'see' anything again." Jack turned on his heel and returned to his desk.

\------

Angel greeted you cheerfully as you stepped into the lab. "Hey _______!" You gave a worn out wave. "Hey." She watched you walk over to your chair before flopping down in it. "Something wrong? Did my dad yell at you again?" She pulled her goggles up and stood beside you. "No.... I feel like I would have preferred being yelled at, though...." You rubbed your eyes. "Does your dad always flirt with his employees?" Angel scrunched up her face at your question. "What did he do?" You slowly sat up straight. "I brought him those reports. He asked me to stay and just talk. We talked. At some point he had me against his desk..." "Ew." Angel tossed in. "Thankfully, before he could do anything, some dude barges in and starts yelling at Jack. Going on about how he killed the guy's brother. I immediately knew who he was talking about, so I said something about it. The jackass then starts yelling at me. He said a few things you should never say to me, and I punched him. Your dad then started laughing and putting his arm around me. He said that what I did was hot... and stuff."

Angel made a disgusted face. "I asked him what he was planning on doing to the guy since I knocked him out and your dad said I would look good holding his 'pistol' and that he'd let me use it. Then he did this thing with his eyebrows. So, I got up and left." You looked up at Angel to see her reaction. She looked grossed out. That was a normal response when hearing about your dad making sexual innuendos at someone. 

"My dad can be.... weird sometimes." Angel tried to comfort you. "I'm more surprised that you didn't, y'know, stay and do stuff with him." Now it was your turn to scrunch up your face. "Um..... no." You stood and rolled your sleeves up. "I don't sleep with people. Hell, I hardly even TALK to people. Why would I sleep with a stranger like your dad?" You shuttered at the thought as you picked up your tools. It wasn't that you hated sex or didn't want it. It was just that you were so detached from people. The only reason you accepted Angel so quickly was because she's just like you. 

"Most people here on Helios would gladly sleep with my dad." Angel followed you over to the work table. "Well, unlike most of the people on Helios, I don't do casual sex or flings...." "Are you a virgin?" She asked you casually. You snorted. "As if. I just don't slee-" You paused and looked Angel over. "Why am I talking about my sex life with you? We shouldn't be talking about this." Angel giggled and nudged you lightly. "Come on! We're friends! We can talk about sex stuff." She encouraged you to keep talking about it. "Yeah we're friends, but your like what, sixteen? You should be getting the sex talk from your dad. Not me." You pulled a glove over your real hand. "I'm seventeen, and it's not a sex talk. We're just talking about your sex life." Angel gave a cheeky smile. She made the same faces her dad made sometimes. 

"You and your dad are very nosey people." You commented as you put a pair of goggles on. Angel pulled her goggles down, but you could still feel her eyes on you. She was very much like her dad. You groaned, giving in. "Why is it so strange for me not to want to sleep with your dad? I get it. He's attractive. But people like me don't go off of looks. I have to actually like and know the person before I ever consider getting intimate with them." You began to weld a small part on the gun on the desk. Angel watched you work, thinking over what you said. 

"What do you think about my dad?" She asked with a playful smirk. You weren't paying attention to her face though. "He's not as scary as everyone makes him out to be. I mean.... he is, but I don't feel that way." You stopped to think before continuing to weld. "He puts on a fake smile too much. I hate that 'charming' smile he always has on. It's fake and cheesy." You grumbled. "Not to mention those dumb pet names. Kiddo, Pumpkin, Kitten, etc. Just, ugh." You said each name in a mocking tone. Angel snickered at that. "I can only stand him when he isn't acting so painfully fake. Like, when he actually laughs or smiles at you. That's the only time he's actually handsome in my eyes."

Angel nodded in agreement until an idea struck her. "Hey, _______, you want to come to my house some time?" You stopped welding and pulled your goggles up. "What?" "Yeah! You should come over some time and hang out with me! We can watch a movie!" Angel smiled brightly. You eyed her suspiciously. "You said we were friends, right? Friends hang out with one another outside of work! Please. It will be fun!" She pulled her goggles up, revealing her secret weapon. The puppy eyes. "No! Stop with the puppy eyes! You can't trick me so...." She jutted her lower lip. Crap. She was good at this. "Don't...." You bit your lip. "Alright! Fine! Damn! Just stop with the eyes!" Angel beamed and hugged around your waist. "Yes! It's going to be so much fun!"

Unknown to you, Angel was scheming. She planned on making her dad hang out with you and her. You'd get to see the real Handsome Jack, like Angel did. The young girl could see the two of you getting along, if there were no outside elements making you go at one another. You were really the only one that could counter his sarcasm with more sarcasm. You weren't afraid of calling him out on his crap. Jack also seemed to like the way you treated him. You didn't act like he was a monster or a psychopath. It was perfect!

"Let's do it over the weekend, though. Too much crap goes on during the week. And we can't exactly do it tomorrow. We've gotta do some testing tomorrow." You thought about what time would be best to come over. Angel seemed happy with whatever you decided on. "I'm okay with whenever. What kind of movies do you like?" "Whatever is fine. I don't normally watch movies, so I don't really have a favorite." You set your tools down. "What is your dad going to say when I randomly show up at his place?" "Don't worry about that! He'll probably be at work, like usual. He's hardly ever home." You frowned at the sadness in Angel's tone. Now there was no way you weren't going to show up. She probably got lonely all by herself. "Alright... I'll show up around... like, noon. We can watch a few movies and hang out." You smiled at her. She smiled back. "It's a plan!"

You pulled your goggles back down. "Alright. Enough with the personal crap. Time to get back to work." Angel nodded in agreement and pulled her goggles back down.


	5. Romcoms and Drool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as you were about to start to read the second page, the sound of crunching made you look up. You turned, expecting to see Angel but instead, you were caught with the sight of your boss. You became stiff at the sight of him. All Jack had on was a yellow sweater and a pair of boxers. A large bowl of pretzels was tucked under his arm. Both of you just starred at one another, completely stunned by the other's presence. He shifted his jaw, making a slow crunching noise come from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got it finished!

The key card in your hand felt out of place. The elevator ride felt longer than you were used to. You weren't sure how to feel about going to your boss' penthouse, but it was too late to back out. Angel was so excited about you watching movies with her. She promised that her dad wouldn't be there when you showed up, so it didn't feel too stressful. You needed a break from anything work related anyway. As you waited for the elevator to reach the top floor, you opened your bag and looked at the two movies you had brought. They were actually Shannon's movies, since you didn't really own any. Unlike Doug, Shannon seemed very happy about your friendship with Angel and encouraged it. She had given you an action movie and one romantic comedy. 

You were sort of looking forward to the first movie, the second looked..... cheesy. You were hopping there wasn't any overly romantic moment in either one of them. You didn't want to watch someone have weird fake sex in a movie with cute, young Angel sitting right next to you. It was an unrealistic hope, since you had a romantic movie staring you in the face. Why did she have to give you a romcom? 

The elevator came to a stop, pulling you from your thoughts. The doors didn't open, even though you had stopped. You took a look around, trying to figure out why the doors weren't opening. "Uhm...." "Identification." A female voice demanded as a small scanner popped out of the wall. You jumped and looked around more frantically. "Identification please." She demanded again. Angel had told you to use the card if this happened. You hastily raised it to the scanner, hoping the voice would accept it. You feared what would happen if you didn't scan it in time. Best case scenario, it'd just send you back down to your floor. Worst case..... you die. Everything on Helios seemed to have a chance of death.

"Approved. Welcome guest." You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. The elevator began to move again. "I wasn't even at the actual floor? What the fuck...." You leaned back against the elevator wall. "I'm sorry. It's protocol for anyone that isn't Handsome Jack or Angel." You jumped when the voice began to talk again. "Y-you're a real A.I.? Not just a typical program?" The voice chuckled lightly at your confusion. You gripped your bag's strap tightly, feeling a little embarrassed now. "I am the A.I. that controls all of Helios. My name is May. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her name was on the innocent side. You figured Jack would give her a more flirty sounding name. Then again, Angel might have been the one to name her. 

"Well... I'm _______ _______. It's.... nice to meet you, May." You smiled slightly. She seemed very friendly, for the time being at least. She was probably also the protection system. May could easily shoot you out into space if Jack ordered it. He probably wouldn't do that to you, though. You were too 'amusing' to him, and you kept Angel company while he worked... When did you suddenly become a babysitting clown? No, wait, that was an unfair thought. Angel was your friend. You didn't babysit her; you truly enjoyed her company. You shoved away those negative thoughts about being Jack's personal jester and sighed. The elevator came to a stop again. "Have fun with Angel, __________." If May wasn't just a voice and had an actual body, she'd probably be waving goodbye. 

As the doors slid open, you were greeted by the sight of Angel. She had a large smile plastered on her face. You smiled back and stepped out of the elevator. Before you could really protest, Angel threw her arms around you and squeezed you tightly. "I'm so glad you came!" She squeezed more. Angel, just like her father, loved to touch you. The only difference was that Angel liked to hug, while Jack latched onto your shoulder and pulled you against his side. Her actions were gentle... Most of the time. Jack, on the other hand, was forceful. Although you preferred her affection over Jack's, it was uncomfortable from time to time. You just weren't used to it; Shannon, on rare occasions, would hug you, but it was always quick and over with. Angel would hold onto you for as long as possible. 

"You make it sound like I planned on ditching you. I said I'd come, didn't I?" You reassured her, lightly patting her back. Angel pulled back and beamed up at you. "Did you bring the goods?" She questioned. You snorted in response. "You make it sound like I brought drugs or something.... but yes, I brought the 'goods'." You fished out the two movies. "One action and one romantic comedy." You shrugged as you mentioned the second one. Angel took them eagerly and looked them over. She didn't seem bothered by the fact that one was based on romance. Maybe you didn't have to worry too much about the awkward make out bits with her. 

"Take your shoes off and come in!" She gestured to the pile of shoes at your feet before turning and walking further into the penthouse. You nodded and hastily slid your shoes off, pushing them as far out of the way as possible before hurrying after Angel. "Here's my lovely living room!" Angel said in a joking, posh voice. She set the movies down on the coffee table and looked over her shoulder at you. "I'm going to go grab some blankets. Feel free to relax." She motioned to the couch. You nodded lightly, moving closer to the couch. She gave a smile, then disappeared into a hallway. You stood awkwardly in the center of the room, afraid to touch anything, including the couch. Everything had a fancy air about it. It all looked three times more expensive than the furniture that cluttered your apartment. Why did she have to leave you alone in an unfamiliar space?

You looked around and spotted a book resting on one of the couch's arms. You picked it up, hoping it would make you forget how out of place you felt. It was more than likely Angel's book. She mentioned a couple times that she loved to read and that Jack always bought her books, even though he didn't really care for them himself. A yellow candy wrapper stuck out from between the pages. You didn't recognize what little you could read on the wrapper. Opening the book, you began to read the first paragraph.

Just as you were about to start to read the second page, the sound of crunching made you look up. You turned, expecting to see Angel but instead, you were caught with the sight of your boss. You became stiff at the sight of him. All Jack had on was a yellow sweater and a pair of boxers. A large bowl of pretzels was tucked under his arm. Both of you just starred at one another, completely stunned by the other's presence. He shifted his jaw, making a slow crunching noise come from him. 

"Wha'r you doin' 'n my houff?" He tried to speak with a mouth full of pretzels. "Uh....." That was all you could get out of your mouth as you looked him over. You never imagined you'd see your boss in his underpants like this... or at all. It was a lot to take in. He glanced down, taking note of what he was in but not really caring. He quickly chewed and swallowed his food. "I said what are you doing in my house?" He demanded in a threatening tone. You tore your eyes away from his boxers to look at his face. Angel promised he would be in his office all day. Why was he here? Why wasn't he wearing pants?!

"I invited them over." Angel appeared beside Jack, two blankets in hand. "You what?" Jack faced her now. "I wanted to watch some movies with ________. So I gave them a guest card and told them to come over." Angel gave an innocent smile. Jack didn't smile back; in fact, he scowled. Her smile slowly faded. "Get them out of my house, now." He ordered and pointed in your direction. Angel glanced from you back to him, biting her lip. She didn't want you to go. It would ruin her plans of watching a movie, and her attempt to hook up you and her dad.

She set the blankets down and grabbed her dad's sleeve, pulling him away. "Give me a second, ______." You simply nodded as you watched them disappear into the kitchen. Angel tugged Jack until you were out of ear shot. "Dad, please don't make them leave!" She pleaded instantly. Jack set the bowl on the counter and folded his arms. "Angel. This is pushing it. I let you spend time with them almost everyday. They don't need to-" "Please! ________ is my only friend! Friends go over to each other's places and hang out! They even brought movies! Please! Please! PLEEEEAAASSSEE!" Angel gripped his sleeve tightly. "________ makes me feel normal! Please don't kick them out!" 

Jack felt himself tense when Angel mentioned being normal. "They don't ask me about being a Siren, or what kind of powers I have. _______ treats me like you treat me." Angel knew just how to pull Jack's heart strings. She wasn't making things up, though; you hadn't ask her about her being a Siren, and you talked to her like a friend would. You were kind to her, and made her feel accepted. Jack let out a heavy sigh and unfolded his arms. He just couldn't say no to Angel. She had him wrapped her finger, and he knew it. "Damn it, Angel....." He ran his hands over his face. Angel perked up instantly. She knew she had won. "Thanks dad!" She hugged him. Jack hugged back. "But I'm going to stay and watch movies with you two." He said in a warning tone. Angel smirked. "I knew you would." She moved past him, still smirking. Jack rose a brow. "What do you mean by that?" Angel shrugged and gave an innocent smile. "What do you mean?" She turned back and walked out to you.

"You can stay!" You jumped when Angel shouted at you. "A-are you sure he's okay with that? I don't want to impose." You forced a smile. If truth be told, you wanted to scold Angel for lying to you, but with Jack in the other room, you refrained. Angel nodded. "Of course it's okay. He doesn't mind at all." She reassured. Part of you really wanted to leave now that you knew Jack was there, but you told Angel you'd spend time with her. Curse your... somewhat good nature. You watched her pop in one of the movies and pick the blankets back up. She shoved one into your arms before hopping onto the couch. She took the seat against the arm of the couch. "Well? Come on. Sit." She patted the spot next to her.

Hesitantly, you set your bag down and sat beside her. She seemed to notice how stiff you seemed. She giggled and took the blanket from you. She casually unfolded it and tossed it over your legs. "Calm down. I promise it's okay." You rolled your eyes. You'd probably never trust Angel's promises again after this. "I'm fine. Just play the movie." "Not without me, Pumpkin." The couch dipped beside you. You looked to your left to see Jack nonchalantly cramming pretzels in his mouth. He set his arm over the back of the couch. "Now... you can play it." You glanced down at Jack's bare legs; if it hadn't been for the blanket, they'd be touching you.

Angel pushed a button on the remote and the lights shut off. After pushing another button, the movie came on. Ugh.... You wanted nothing more than to be anywhere else in that moment. Space seemed like a better option over sitting in a dark room with your boss, who was wearing less than what you normally preferred. 

\--------------

Angel put the action movie in first, thankfully. It was a basic action movie; Guy and girl in love, girl gets kidnapped, guy kills tons of bad guys to get to her, explosion, explosion, guy finds girl, awkward sex scene, another explosion, guy goes and fights head bad guy so she doesn't get kidnapped again, movie ends with weird overly sexual kiss. You squirmed a lot during the kissy, sexy scenes. Angel and Jack didn't seem to care as much as you did. Jack, however, did notice you fidget a few times. He occasionally pressed his leg against you, making you fidget more. It was interesting.

Angel turned the lights on when the movie ended, making you groan and rub your eyes. "Ow..." Angel glanced at you. "Sorry. I have to go to the bathroom." She apologized as she hurried away. Jack chuckled as you tried to fix your eyes. You glanced in his direction. "What?" you quickly shot your gaze forwards. "Nothing!" He smirked. "I just couldn't help but notice how you couldn't sit still during certain parts." You heart sank. He knew. You hadn't been aware of him watching you. "I don't know what you're talking about." You tried to defend. "Don't try to deny it, Pumpkin. I know what I saw." This was not a conversation you wanted to have with anyone, let alone Jack. 

"What did you think about those fight scenes? Pretty lame, right?" You tried switching subjects. "Did you see that one guy in the background? The one eating that doughnut?" Jack thought for a moment. "HA! I totally did! Wasn't he supposed to be like one of the guards or something?" Relief hit you. You smiled. "He was! And yet, there he was, munching away on a doughnut!" You and Jack chuckled. "What about the boss guy?" Jack questioned. "You mean the pansy they called a boss?" "Yes!" Jack laughed. "You thought he was lame too?" You snorted. "Well duh! The fight at the end wasn't even interesting. The guy was so weak! I mean, the hero literally shot him once and boom, dead!" 

Jack gave a smile, the real one that you liked. "You can hardly call him a villain. Where's the fun in finishing him off, after all of that hype, with one bullet?" You continued, actually forgetting about the conversation you had just avoided. "The girl was kinda hot." Jack threw in. "I liked the hero. He wasn't a lame hero. He did what he had to. I get so tired of movies where the hero is conflicted about killing people. Like, they're the bad guy. Why does it matter?" You were rambling now, but Jack didn't seem to mind at all. He actually seemed to be enjoying himself. You stopped to yawn. "Getting tired?" "What? No. I'm fine." You played it off. 

"I'm back!" Angel announced as she re-entered the room. She looked form you to Jack, noticing the smiles on your faces. She had also heard you laughing before coming back. Her plan was working. You two could easily get along, if you wanted to. Now for another, sort of unexpected move, the romantic comedy. She didn't think you'd bring something like a romcom, but it was perfect. Unknown to her, romance movies made you fall asleep. Just watching movies in general made you sleepy. The only reason you didn't fall asleep during the action film was because it was too noisy. Angel popped in the next movie and took her seat again. She switched the lights off once more and pushed play. 

\--

About ten minutes into the movie, you could feel your eyes trying to shut. You head bobbed slightly once or twice. The movie was so typical. So far, it was some girl who needed a date for something, she hires a guy to be a pretend boyfriend, then they were at her parents. After it reached the twenty minute mark, you finally let your eyes shut. The slow pace of the movie and predictable dialog managed to lull you to sleep. Jack had noticed your head bobbing a few times. He knew you'd fall asleep eventually. He debated waking you up by jabbing your side or coughing loudly. Before he could actually do anything though, he felt a new weight on his shoulder. 

Jack looked down at you, noting just how out of it you were. You unconsciously nuzzled his shoulder. All of the thoughts of waking you up left him. No, this was much better. He'd let you sleep and get comfortable against him, then when the movie ended, he'd wake you up and tease you. He turned his attention back to the movie, even though it was boring him too, and crammed a pretzel into his mouth. He was already thinking of what he'd say to you.

Angel peaked at you from the corner of her eye. She was surprised to see you so close to her father. She didn't expect you to get cuddly so fast. She expected maybe some nervous movements or something. Nope. You were pressed right up against Jack from her point of view. Now she felt a little uncomfortable. If only she knew you were just asleep and Jack just so happened to be the one you leaned on. 

\------

The movie ended and Angel quickly turned the lights on. You flinched and nuzzled Jack's shoulder again. "That was a great movie, wasn't it _______?" She leaned towards you. "She's been out for a while now, Angel. She didn't even make it past the ex boyfriend bit." Jack joked. Angel felt relieved knowing you weren't silently doing stuff with her dad right next to her. She looked at your face and instantly put her hand over her mouth to hold in her laugh. Jack rose a brow. "What?" A few small giggles came from his daughter. "What are you laughing at?" He looked back down at you and noticed a wet spot under your cheek.

"Hey!" Jack shouted, making your eyes open. You sat up and rubbed your eyes. "What the hell! You drooled on me!" You knitted your brows and looked at Jack's shoulder. You could see the wet spot, it was actually a pretty big spot. If you weren't still half asleep, you might have given a crap about slobbering on your boss. "Sorry..." You drawled out. Angel burst out laughing, unable to contain herself. Jack scowled at you. "Are the movies over?" Angel nodded, still laughing. "Who gives a crap about the movies?! You drooled on me!" Jack stated again. You frowned as he yelled. "Then go switch it for a different shirt." Angel laughed even harder at your response. Jack just fumed. "That doesn't fix the problem!"

You sighed. This was not a good way to wake up. You stood. "Then tell me where your room is, and I'll go get you a damn shirt." Jack stiffened for a moment. Angel stood and pulled you away from her father. She was still chuckling. "It's okay _______. I'll take care of it. You-" She giggled. "You can go home." Jack stood. "Hey! They can't leave until they fix this!" He gestured to his wet shoulder. "Ugh.... Do you ever stop yelling? I'll pick it up from the dry cleaners and bring it to you tomorrow if you stop yelling." You poked his stomach lightly as you spoke. He paused. Angel looked from her dad back to you as an idea popped in her head.

"That sounds like a great plan!" She chimed in. "His shirt needs to be washed anyways!" "Hey!" Jack shouted in an offended tone, but Angel ignored him. "That should make up for it. I'll message you tomorrow when it's done being cleaned, okay?" She hastily picked up your bag and the two movies before shoving them into your arms. Jack didn't have time to throw in any more objections; Angel was already shoving you towards the elevator. 

"Thanks for coming over." She smiled. "No problem. It was fun.... even though I slept through the second movie." "That's okay! It was a little boring compared to the first one." Angel reassured you. You stopped and slid your shoes on. "We should do it again." You pulled your second shoe on. Angel paused at your suggestion. "You.... you wanna hang out with me more.... outside of work?" You snorted. "Well, duh. If I didn't enjoy spending time with you, I wouldn't have even shown up. I don't mind hanging out at work, or outside of work. I mean, your dad being here sorta made it weird, but that's nothing I can't get over." You glanced over your shoulder. Angel looked like she was about to cry. Was it really that amazing you had fun with her? 

"U-uhm... We can maybe try to make it like a weekly thing, if you want." You offered with a smile. Angel wrapped her arms around you. You hugged back. "Can we really do that?" She asked. "Yeah. I don't mind." Angel squeezed you tightly at your answer. She was so adorable, it was almost painful. "Alright. That's enough hugging. I need to go before your dad starts yelling again." You stroked her hair lightly before she pulled away. "Okay!" She chirped.

You stepped into the elevator and waved as the doors shut. "See ya later." She nodded and waved back. When the doors shut finally and Angel was alone, she let out a quiet squeal. She bounced lightly. She felt so lucky at that moment. With a hum, Angel turned and headed back into the living room. Jack was using a tissue to at least try to clean off all of your drool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry so much time past. I'm trying really hard to get them out every like two days but thats kinda hard sometimes. If I'm not writing chapters, i'm drawing borderlands stuff on my tumblr. I promise the next chapter will come out faster. ALSO, thank you very much for the nice comments and kudos. I really appreciate it. I makes me overjoyed and excited when i see them.


	6. Friends and Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hugo~" You cooed as you rolled the sucker in your mouth again. He gave another cocky smirk, as though he had magically won you over with his, ooh. so. charming words. You crushed the candy between your teeth before snagging his eye sore of a tie and yanking him down to your level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fast update, just for you guys.

The buzzing of your comm startled you out of your sleep. A low groan came from you as you rolled onto your side. Cracking one eye open, you tried to see the bright green digits on your alarm clock. You had to blink a few times to make the numbers come into focus. 5:58 A.M.... "What the fuck...." You mumbled out. Why the hell was someone messaging you two minutes before six? That was two more minutes you could have slept before having to get up! What the FUCK! With a frustrated sigh, you snagged your comm off of the nightstand and opened the message. 

"Hey. I just wanted to tell you that I might be a little late today. I may have stayed up a little later than usual... Sorry.  
Oh! Don't forget, you have to get my dad's shirt from the wash rooms and bring it to him! It should be done by 10.  
Thanks again for hanging out with me last night! :]  
\- Angel"

You squinted at the message for a long minute, reading the message over again. Of course it was Angel. Shannon and Doug knew it was a death wish to message you before your alarm went off. Hell, messaging you before you even made it to your office would result in a sucker punch from you. You tossed the comm back onto the nightstand, pulled your pillow over your face, and screamed. Angel didn't know any better, but that didn't change the fact you'd probably be grumpy for most of the day. Those two extra minutes could have made a world of difference for you, but now... you were awake. 

You flinched when your alarm clock began to screech at you. It would be a miracle if you didn't end up killing someone today. Reaching out, you grabbed your alarm clock and yanked it out of the plug before throwing it across the room. It crashed against the wall and instantly fell apart. "Shitty, cheap alarm clock....." You gripped your pillow tightly. There was no point in trying to sleep now, not that you even could. 

\--------

The ride down to the janitorial floor was slow. It gave you time to at least calm your agitation enough to be somewhat sociable. You toyed with the sucker in your mouth as you waited to reach the floor. In hopes of getting a bit of a sugar rush, you had snagged it from a vending machine on your floor. Its flavor was a little odd, but you didn't expect much. You may have also gotten it to keep people from talking to you. If they saw that your mouth was occupied, they might be smart enough to leave you be. You just wanted to avoid confrontation as much as possible today. 

You knew that wouldn't last long, though. You had to bring Jack his damn shirt and you knew, for a fact, that he would end up saying something flirty, or just be a smart ass like usual. Maybe, if you were lucky, he'd be to busy to actually talk to you; he'll take the shirt and demand you leave. God, that was such a nice hope. You finally reached the floor and stepped out. It smelt like soap and cleaners. It made you want to sneeze. You made your way to the laundry section of the floor, looking for the room. It took you a good three minutes to find the room because no one on this fucking space station can give decent directions! You knocked lightly on the door to the room, catching the attention of one of the staff. 

You pulled the sucker out of your mouth. "I'm here to pick up Handsome Jack's sweater. I was told it'd be done by now." You shoved the sucker back into your mouth. "Oh! Yes! It's just got out of the dryer actually! It should be nice and toasty for him." The woman chirped. She seemed really happy with her work, which was both annoying and endearing. It was good to see someone, other than you, happy with what they're doing. "I'll go get it for you." She disappeared for a second, then came back with a perfectly folded yellow sweater. You looked it over as she held it out to you. 'Might as well try to be a kind person today.' 

"It's looks great. I'm sure he'll be more than happy with your work." She smiled at your praise. That actually made you feel a little better. Maybe you should try praising people when you're in a bad mood more often. "You're that lab nerd from the technician floors." A deep voice came from the other side of room. You glanced in the direction of the voice to see a man in a black suit and yellow tie. He had broad shoulders, a perfectly groomed beard, and his hair slicked to the side. He swaggered towards you. You looked him up and down. "What was your name again?" He snapped his fingers as he tried to figure it out. And just like that, you were annoyed again. 

"__________." You stated dully. "That's right! ________ _______." Oh, so he was smart enough to know your full name. Amazing... Not really. "And who might you be?" You truly didn't give a damn, but you knew he was going to continue to try to talk to you; might as well know his name. He adjusted his suit in a smug manner. "The names Hugo Vasquez. I'm one of the top programmers. I'm sure you've heard of me." 'Ew.' He was just as egotistical as Jack, but definitely not as good looking. "I've certainly heard a lot about you recently." He continued. You set your hand on your hip, rolling the sucker between your teeth. "Uh huh... like what?" "Oh, you don't know? Everyone has been talking about you and our beloved CEO." You stopped rolling the piece of candy in your mouth and stiffened. "Vasquez, leave them alone." The woman from before hissed. You glanced at her nametag. Penny. You liked Penny more and more by the second. "What are you going to do if I don't?" Vasquez countered with an aggressive gleam in his eyes. 

She shrunk back. "You really should think about your position, Penny. You're just another cleaning hand. Easily forgotten, easily replaced." He smirked. He made your blood boil. Stepping between him and her, you glared up at him. "Leave her alone." You snapped. "Easy there, _________." Vasquez suddenly set his hand on the small of your back, pulling you away from Penny. "You don't need to defend someone like her. People like me and you are above her." Was he really trying to schmooze with you? Was he really trying to compare you to him? "People like me and you need to stick together."

You were definitely going to hurt this guy, but not until after you heard about these rumors. "Vasquez." You said calmly as you turned to him. "You can't say me and you should stick together if you don't tell me about all of these things they're saying about me... How do I know you're not one of those people?" You gave him your best seductive eyes as you walked your fingers up his chest. "I um... I..." He began to stutter. Hook, line, and sinker. Your flirtatious skills were iffy at best, but slimy people like him were always easily tricked. He tugged at his tie. 

"Well... You see... They have been saying a few things about you being his newest toy... You've become his favorite it seems, and they think it's because you've done him a few 'favors'." You felt your entire being shut off, then slowly reboot itself after trying to take in what Hugo said. They... thought you were doing WHAT?! "But I personally don't care if you are or aren't, _________." Vasquez stated smoothly, clearly having regained his confidence. He set his hand on your side and raised a flirtatious brow. "There's nothing wrong with being a little more adventurous from time to time." He pulled you against him lightly. You finally were able to let this new information sink in. 

"Hugo~" You cooed as you rolled the sucker in your mouth again. He gave another cocky smirk, as though he had magically won you over with his, ooh. so. charming words. You crushed the candy between your teeth before snagging his eye sore of a tie and yanking him down to your level. "I don't give a flying fuck how high up on the food chain you think you are; if you dare touch me ever again, I will personally gag you with your tie." You growled out. He seemed very confused and scared at your sudden change of heart. You shoved him away, making him fall on his ass. "You and I will never be on the same level." You stepped on his hand, digging your heel into him. "I highly suggest you learn your place before I have to force you back into it." He groaned in pain as you twisted your heel. "Understood?" You questioned, your gaze hard. He nodded, gripping at your ankle. "Good."

You removed your foot and turned back towards Penny. She jumped slightly now that your attention was on her. You smile lightly. "May I have Jack's shirt now? I'm already running very late." She nodded and handed it over hastily. You noticed how she avoided your gaze. You hadn't meant to scare her as well. Stepping closer to her, you patted her shoulder lightly. "If he gives you anymore trouble, come and find me in the tech labs, okay? I don't mind taking a break to hurt someone." She looked at you, her fear slowly fading. "Uh... Thank you." "No problem." You gave a final pat before heading towards the door. 

"Hey!" Vasquez got up and grabbed your coat sleeve, tearing it at the seam slightly. "If you think being Jack's new pet is going to keep you safe, you're dead wrong. He'll get tired of you, and then you'll have no choice but to come crawling to me!" You starred blankly at him. "What do you think would happen if I told Jack you threatened his new favorite?" He froze. You didn't like calling yourself Jack's in anyway, but you'd gladly use it to your advantage in this one situation. "If I know Handsome Jack, and we both know I do, I distinctly recall him saying he hates it when someone touches his stuff." Vasquez instantly released you and stepped back. "Thought so." You smirked, then left.

\------------

"Jack. I'm here." You announced as you set a new sucker in your mouth. "Ugh. Finally. What took so long, Babe?" He asked as he made his way towards you. "Some stuff. Nothing you need to worry about." You looked Jack over. He had on a yellow button up shirt and a black tie. He looked very formal, and very unhappy about it. "What are you wearing?" You scrunched up your nose. "Angel suggested this monkey suit." "I hate it." You stated. "What makes you think I like it anymore than you do?" He tugged the tie off and tossed it aside. A long sigh came from you as you watched him begin to undo the buttons on his shirt. 

"I honestly don't know what I expected...." You mumbled lightly to yourself. Hoping Jack to wait until you left had been a very unrealistic expectation. You had to admit Jack did look good, though. Without thinking about it, you let your eyes wander. Jack noticed you gazing at him. "See something you like? Y'know, all you have to do is ask instead of sneaking peaks." He gave a cocky smirk. You rolled your eyes. Always with the flirting. A small idea hit you. What if you tried to flirt back and stunned him like you did with Assquez? It was worth a shot.

"I don't know if you could handle me, Jack. I might be just a bit too much for you." You pulled the sucker out of your mouth, making a satisfying pop that got his full attention. Jack looked surprised for about two seconds before that cocky grin appeared again. "Its about time you sent some action my way, Babe. My pistol offer still stands." You let your shoulders drop. Why did you think that would work? "Sorry, but I've made it a habit NOT to sleep with my boss." You held out the yellow sweater. Jack took it and immediately put it on. "You shouldn't knock it until you try it. You might like it." He winked. All you did was make the flirting worse. "You're such a charmer. I'll have to keep that in mind." You remarked sarcastically. 

You looked Jack over again. "You already look three times better." Jack chuckled. "I always look good." "That's debatable." He put his hand over his chest, jokingly offended. "Ouch. You wound me." A small laugh came from you. Jack moved closer. "Why don't you actually flirt with me and stuff? Most people in your position would be throwing themselves at me because, y'know, I'm-" You snorted and laughed again. "Yes, yes. You're Handsome Freaking Jack. I get it." You moved around him and picked up his tie and button up shirt. "I don't know why. I just don't?" 

You weren't exactly sure why you didn't flirt or try to suck up to Jack. Maybe it was because you didn't feel like you had much to gain. Everyone else on Helios seemed to think otherwise, sadly. "Did you know people are spreading rumors about you and me?" You folded Jack's clothes... Well, you more or less just rolled them into a neat ball. "Like what?" He questioned. You didn't really want to share what you had heard, but he might as well know. "They're saying things like I'm your new favorite toy and that I've been giving you...... favors." Jack burst out laughed at this. "You're kidding, right?" You shot him an angry glance. He began to laugh louder. "Hahaha! Oh my god! You're not! Haha!" He hugged his sides. You rolled your eyes and threw his shirt at him. He continued, even when the clothing hit him. You groaned out of irritation. "Forget I mentioned anything." You strolled past him and out the door. If he hadn't been laughing so hard, he might have tried to stop you. 

\--------------

Shannon had an eager smile on her face as she watched your bite into your sandwich. You were trying your hardest to ignore her gaze, but it was becoming more and more difficult with each passing second. You swallowed and sighed, setting down your meal. "....What?" "So how was your movie night?" She asked with a grin. She was really nosey. "Why do you want to know?" You finally looked in her direction. "Because you made a new friend! I want to know if you had fun! Did you have fun? Please tell me." Doug now chimed in. "I also would like to know how watching movies at our boss' house went." It was clear he didn't care about the fun you had; he wanted to know how it was getting to see Jack's penthouse. 

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you groaned. "Please! Please! Please!" Shannon nudged you repeatedly. "Ugh...." She nudged you once more. Was everyone out to make you angry today? "Long story, short; I went over, spoke to the weird A.I. system, got into the penthouse, Handsome Jack was there, in his boxers no less, then I had to sit through both movies with him right next to me. I ended up falling asleep on him half way through the second movie and I may or may not have drool on him." You blurted. You took in a deep breath and sank in your chair. "Now please stop asking me about it. I woke up earlier than I wanted too, had to go grab his damn shirt from the cleaners, then had some asshole tell me people are spreading rumors. I just want to go lie down...." Doug looked from you to Shannon, shrugging. "All you had to say was that you didn't wanna talk about it." You glared at Doug, sitting up in your seat. 

"_______!" You looked up to see Penny a few feet away with a tray in her hands. She waved and excitedly walked over to the table. "Hi!" She chirped. "Oh. Hey Penny." You forced a weary smile. "Is it your lunch break too?" She nodded. "C-can I sit with you? I can't go sit where I normally do...." She glanced at the other side of the room. You followed her gaze. Vasquez was sitting with some other programmers at what you assumed to be her usual spot. He had a smug look on his face. You could feel your blood begin to boil again. He was such a slime ball. You would definitely end up breaking his leg, if not both, at some point in the future.

"If you don't want me to-" "No no. You can sit with us. Why don't you make this your official seat?" You smiled. It was truly forced, but you wanted her to feel comfortable. "Really? Thank you!" She smiled and sat down across from you. "These are my 'friends', Doug and Shannon." You made quotation marks with your hands. "Rude." Shannon stated. "It's nice to meet you." Penny smiled at them. Doug seemed to be in complete awe at Penny. "H-hi...." He held out a hand to her. She shook it. You and Shannon eyed him, smug smiles on your faces. He looked away from you.

You turned your focus back to Vasquez and his groupies. You glared. He must have felt you trying to burn a hole in his skull, because he made eye contact with you. You pointed to Penny then gestured that you were watching him. He sent a wink your way. "I am going to break him.... in so many ways." "Break who?" Doug asked, snapping you out of your murderous thoughts. "What? No one. Don't worry about it. Why don't you ask Penny if she's single?" Doug's face went bright red. He hit your arm. "Shut up." You chuckled and picked up your sandwich.


	7. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I think your scars are sexy." You looked back at him, surprised by his comment. "What?" "I said I think you're scars are pretty sexy."

You could feel John's gaze on you. It made you feel nervous and a little over heated. Though, the heat was more or less coming from the gun you were working on. Fire based guns were always a pain to work with. He had been hanging out in your office most of the morning, trying to stir up random conversations every now and then. He'd ask how you've been, about the guns you've worked on recently, and one or two questions about angel. You ignored the questions about Angel, it was none of his business. Why he was even bothering you today was beyond you, but you allowed it for the time being. Angel was at home again, catching up on the sleep she purposely missed. That girl needed to pick better nights to stay up and read; you greatly wished she was here. She would made a good excuse to force John to leave.

With as much caution as possible, you prodded a piece on the gun. "Hey _______." You jumped as John broke the silence, almost hitting one of the gun's sensitive parts. You spun around, ready to strangle John. "So, I know you're not one for parties and stuff but I was wondering...." He rubbed the back of his neck. You stilled. Was he about to ask you out? "I mean, you don't have to say yes, but uh... do you wanna maybe be my date for the annual party?" Your throat tightened. It wasn't that you hated John; you actually thought he could be pretty funny at times but you just didn't seem him as date-able. Hell, you didn't really see anyone as date-able on Helios or Pandora. He was hardly your friend as well; he was just some guy you occasionally spoke to.

"Uh...." You gripped the tool in your hand. "I-I don't know if it's a good idea to ask me. Parties aren't my thing and I'd probably just bore you. Maybe you should ask someone else to go with you." You tried to play off. John got up from his seat. "I wouldn't mind at all! We could just sit in the back and chat. We don't have to do much." He gave a cheerful smile. "Um..... it doesn't happen for like another month s-so.... um is it okay if I think It over?" He seemed a little disappointed by your answer but kept his smile. "Sure. I don't mind waiting." He chuckled lightly. You mentally cringed at the chuckle; it sounded sad and that made you feel like the bad guy.

Why did he want to go with you? You weren't anyone's first option for many reasons. The arm being one of the biggest reasons. The thought of someone wanting to be your date was odd. Shannon and Doug often tried to convince you to go and just hang out with them at the annual party but you never stayed for more than half an hour. You always felt claustrophobic there. It was the one day every employee could just drink and talk; they didn't have to work. It wouldn't be so bad if some people didn't get super drunk and get all physical. Drunk people like shiny things and your arm is made out of metal. It wasn't like you were the only one with a metal arm; there was some guy with a metal arm like you. What was his name? It began with an "R". You shook your head, pushing those thoughts back. You had to think of a way to either change the conversation entirely or make John leave.

You glanced around, looking for anything to talk about. Your eyes landed on the pile of reports you had to bring to Jack later today. Maybe instead of making John leave, you could leave! "O-oh! Would you look at the time! I forgot that Jack wanted me to bring the reports in a little earlier than usual." You gave a forced smile and stepped around John. "Sorry, John. If I don't take these to him right now, he'll probably throw a fit and shoot someone." You scooped up the papers and headed towards the door. "W-wait-" "I promise I'll think it over!" You shouted over your shoulder as you hurried out the door. 

\--------

"Handsome Jack is in a meeting right now. He won't be back for another thirty minutes." The secretary informed you. You chuckled lightly. "Oh that's a shame. I can wait though." She fiddled with her fingers on the desk. "You can just head back to work. I'll call you when he returns-" "No!" You shouted. She jumped and you covered your mouth. "I mean no.... I'll just wait in his office." You gave an apologetic smile before heading towards his office door. "I really-" "It's alright! I'll tell him I forced you to let me in." You confirmed. She pierced her lips, unsure what to say to stop you. You hastily stepped into his office and shut the door.

A long sigh came from you as you pushed off of the door. You just needed to be some where far from John. Jack's office seemed like the safest place where John couldn't follow, not that you believed he followed you. You probably could have just hid in yourself in a bathroom for ten minutes and he probably would have gone back to work. This was the only thing you could think of at the time. You starred down at the papers in your hands. The papers seemed like the more reasonable excuse out of all your options. It wasn't all bad; now you could look at Jack's office without him throwing some sexual innuendo your way. You took in the over all appearance the first few times you came in but you never got the chance to actually look at everything. 

You made your way to his desk, starring at Elpis like before. Setting the papers on his desk, you stepped around it to look out at the moon. It was massive and close. The scars on the moon were so prominent from this view. On Pandora, it had no real character to it. You occasionally thought about visiting Elpis, just to see how dangerous it really is, but you always convince yourself otherwise. You were already down an arm, no need to lose another limb because you had a moment of spontaneous stupidity. Turning away from the giant window, you looked over Jack's desk. It was actually pretty clean. All he really had on his it was a picture of Angel. 

Picking up the picture, you felt a your lips curve up into a smile. She was so young in the picture, and even more adorable than she currently was. Angel had such big blue eyes. "So freaking cute." You mumbled. It was sweet of Jack to even have a picture of her on his desk. He loved her so much. You loved her a lot too. She was just one of those people you instantly loved. You set the picture down and looked towards Jack's trophy case. You weren't a Handsome Jack fan like most of the Hyperion employees but that didn't mean you weren't just as curious about his exploits as they were. 

The first thing you noticed as you walked over, was the shotgun. Your eyes lit up slightly. "The conference call!" You gushed. Oh how you wished to hold it and use it! "Look at it... It's in such good condition too." A familiar chuckle startled you out of your awe. "See something you like, Pumpkin?" You turned to face Jack. He had his arms crossed and an amused smirk on his face. "You're back.... I thought you were supposed to be at a meeting." You were certain thirty minutes hadn't passed since you entered his office. Looking Jack over, you noticed the blood on his clothes. Oh. He chuckled again. "I had to cut he meeting short. If I had known you'd be here so soon, I might have ended it sooner." He joked, moving closer. 

"What are you doing in my office, pumpkin?" He questioned, a threatening look in his eyes. You fiddled with your coat sleeve, avoiding his eyes. "I um...." You cleared your throat. "Please don't make me leave." You muttered softly. "What?" He rose a brow. "I needed a place to hide for a little while so I came here." You admitted, still avoiding his gaze. "Uh huh.... and just who or what were you hiding from?" You shrugged your shoulders. "Ehhhh..... it doesn't matter, just let me stay. Just for like another hour or so. Please." You begged. Jack starred at you. 

"Are you hiding from the person that tore your coat?" He pointed to your shoulder. You tilted your head in confusion before sliding your coat off. You starred at the hole. "When did....' You immediately knew when and who did it. You scrunched up your nose in disgust. That asshole, Vasquez, tore your freaking coat. Hate wasn't a powerful enough word describe how you felt about him. You sighed. "No... this was from a while ag-" You looked up at Jack to notice his eyes lingering on your arm, well, he was more or less starring at the scars that peaked out from under the metal and spread across your chest. You'd worn a tank top today in hopes it would help you keep cool while working on that gun from before. It never occurred to you that it showed most of your scars.

"See something you like?" You mocked playfully. Jack tore his eyes away from your arm as though you had scolded him. People usually had that reaction. You didn't understand it. They were just scars... maybe he was uncomfortable with your arm? You raised your arm and flex the fingers. "Wanna know how I lost it? It's a pretty amazing story about betrayal and me being a badass." You teased a little more. Jack seemed to ease as you joked. "You? A badass?" He snorted. "Hey! I was a total badass on Pandora." Jack chuckled and moved beside you, looking at his trophy case. You turned to follow his gaze. "You were talking about the Conference Call." He gestured to the shotgun.

You smiled, rolling up your coat into a ball and tossing it aside. You didn't really care if your arm was exposed. "Oh yeah. The conference call. It's my favorite legendary gun. The name is freaking clever and I heard it's amazing when it's in actions....." You looked Jack over. "And it sort of, fits you pretty well actually. The name at least." You chuckled. Jack smiled, a real smile. "That's the reason I got it." He stated, peaking at you from the corner of his eye. You looked at the rest of the trophies he had. A few unknown corporation objects, the atlas certification, a cowgirl hat, and a goatee.... Wait, what? You leaned forwards slightly, looking at the mannequin head with a goatee.

"Is.... is that... Tassiter's facial hair?" You looked at him with a confused face. He began to laugh and nod his head. "Yup." You looked back at the mannequin. "Why?" You questioned. "Well, after I killed him, I decided to keep it as a reminder for those who piss me off." You just starred at him. He looked back at you. "What?" "Nothing..." You looked back at the items before you. It was a little weird he had your dead boss' facial hair but whatever. Jack was a little strange and you knew this. "How about the hat?" You pointed to the top self. "Ah, the cowgirl hat. It was my ex girlfriend's hat. She left this one behind and got a new one after she took over as the smoking hot sheriff of Lynchwood." Jack stated proudly. "Ex girlfriend?" You looked the hat over. "After Nisha took over Lynchwood, we kinda just split." He didn't sound remorseful about the breakup. "But you guys still talk and stuff, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's not like we got into some huge fight or anything. It was just easier to have her doing her own thing and me doing the same. She's still pretty hot though." You rolled your eyes at that last part. "I bet." You commented. You knew of Nisha Kadam. She was a real badass; you'd be lying if you said you didn't want to meet her at least once.

"Wanna tell me why you're hiding out here now?" Jack finally questioned. You tensed slightly. You knew he'd never let it slip so easily. You sighed and moved away from the trophy case. "Someone asked me to be there date for Hyperion's annual party thing." You admitted. "That's it?" You glared at Jack. "Of course that's it. Do I look like the type to do parties? Do I like the kind of person who goes to parties with a date?" Jack walked around to his chair. "You have to go to the party anyways. Why not go with a date?" He prodded. You groaned and flopped down in one of the other chairs in the room. "I don't have to stay the entire time. Every year I just go listen to your speech, then I leave." 

"I'm touched, cupcake." Jack sounded pleased about you listening to his speech. He sat in his seat, resting his elbows on his desk. You gave a mocking laugh in return. "I just don't like parties or the people who go to them. They always try to touch my arm." He tensed at the mention of your arm. "Drunk people like to touch shiny stuff and well, metal tends to be shiny." You leaned back, relaxing. "Then they ask stuff like how I lost my actual arm and I have to either try to cram food into my mouth so I can't talk or pretend I didn't hear them. On one occasion, I punched someone." Jack smiled at the mention of you punching someone. You continued. "The asshole called me a one armed freak then started asking me if I had any other fake parts like a cybernetic eye. So I punched him." You clenched your fist. "A lot of people don't seem to think my scars and arm is as cool as I do."

You rubbed your thumb over the top of your metal hand. "How did you lose it?" Jack finally ask. He sounded hesitant about it, though. You looked up at him and chuckled. "This person I loved and trusted.... a lot.... he was very bipolar. One minute he could be all smiles and happiness, then just break your nose for no reason the next minute. I guess I pissed him off one day; I don't really know what I did wrong." You grimaced now. "He drove me out to Skag Gully, kicked me out of the car into a skag pit then drove off. When I fell, I hit a rock or something on the way down and hurt my leg. The skags heard me scream and.... well... did what they do best." Jack frowned. "I tried to climb back out but one of the adults got ahold of my arm and pulled me back down. It tore my arm... well, it more or less chewed it off." Moving your shirt strap, you revealed the teeth shaped scars around your shoulder. You looked up at Jack, noticing the anger in his eyes. He was probably mad at the beasts and not you. 

"Thankfully, someone else was there. They heard me scream and came to see what was wrong. They found me, shot at the skags until they ran away, then helped me out of the pit. She took me to some guy, and he gave me a metal arm." You flexed your arm again. "I've upgraded and changed it since then but that's how I got it... It's not all bad though. I went back to that pit, after I healed up, and killed every last skag there." You smiled at Jack, hoping it would make his anger stay on the more docile side. "I basically traded my arm for a bunch of wicked looking scars." Another forced joke. Jack definitely wasn't amused. 

"Tell me this asshole is dead and is not still up walking around." Jack demanded. You avoided his eyes now. "N.... no." Jack shot up from his desk. "What do you mean he's not dead! I would of strangled the life out of that guy until he turned blue!" You tensed when he began to shout. You didn't think he'd be so upset about it. It wasn't like it just happened yesterday. It happened a year before you came to Helios. "Tell me where this fucker lives and we can blow him up." Jack pushed a few buttons on his computer. "MISSILES READY." "No!" Your body suddenly moved on it's own. One second you were in your chair, the next, you were tackling Jack to the ground. You both bumped his chair as you fell, making it roll away. Jack let out a groan as he hit the floor.

A long silence followed that. It all happened so fast, your mind couldn't really comprehend what you did at first. After some time passed, it clicked. You sat up instantly, starring down at your boss. Jack looked up at you, eyes wide. Just like you, he hadn't expected you to tackle him. "Sir? Are you alright?" The secretary appeared into the doorway. You both looked in her direction. The shock on her face made you realize just how bad this looked. You were basically straddling Jack on the floor. Your face became red. "Its not what it looks like!" You shouted, trying to climb off of jack but he was he was holding onto your hips. "I'm so sorry!" She shouted, not even registering what you said. The secretary slammed the door shut, leaving you and Jack alone again.

"Please come back...." You whispered in despair. Jack squeezed your hips, catching your attention. He gave you a cheeky smile, rubbing your hips with his thumbs. Your face turned an even darker shade of red. You tried to wiggle out of his grip. "Let go already!" "Why? I happen to like this position, babe." He flirted. "You're secretary just came in here and saw us!" "And?" He didn't seem to give a single fuck. "Don't worry about it. She won't tell anyone." He sat up, wrapping his arm around your waist. "This could be a lot worse you know." He chuckled, pulling you against his chest. You swallowed the lump in your throat. "Speechless?" You looked away, trying to focus on anything that wasn't him. Although this isn't what you thought would happen, you didn't exactly hate it. He was gentle while holding you. He wasn't violent or forceful. His warmth felt nice. Was it his warmth or were you just over heating again? You couldn't tell. He leaned closer; his breathe tickling your neck. What was he going to do?! 

"I think your scars are sexy." You looked back at him, surprised by his comment. "What?" "I said I think you're scars are pretty sexy." He stated again, leaning back on his elbow. His other arm was still coiled around your waist but you didn't really care at this point. You were thinking about other things like; was Handsome Jack seriously calling your scars sexy? Was he trying to be sentimental in some way? Was he being honest or just seeing if you'll let him into your pants? You defaulted to thinking he was just teasing you. Why would he think scars are sexy? He wore a mask to hide his scar for Pete sake. You pushed on his chest. 

"That's not a funny joke, Jack." Jack frowned and grabbed your hand. "Who said I was joking? Confidence in your scars is the hottest thing I've ever heard of." He said sternly. Your heart skipped a beat. He was serious... Jack smiled at you, his real smile. The smile he only uses for angel. He was using it for you. Again, your heart skipped a beat. He was acting so charming; not the fake charming either. He was very appealing all of a sudden. The way he looked at you, the smile, the compliments. It made your feel nervous.... in a good kind of way. 

"Handsome Jack, sir. I know you're... busy but a representative from Jakobs is here to see you." The secretary announced over the intercom on Jack's desk. It startled you out of your slight daze. You immediately pushed away from Jack, ignoring his objections. "I-I'm going back to work now." You didn't wait for his approval; your mind was swimming. Pulling the door open, you were greeted by a man in a suit. He looked at you, raising a curious brow. "E-excuse me." You slipped past him and hurried to the elevator. The secretary watched you from the corner of her eye, trying to see if there were marks or anything on you. You disappeared into the elevator before she could really see. There wasn't anything to see.

\---------------------------------

Pandora was even more of a wasteland than he remembered. It was such a crappy planet. While trying to get here, he ran over at least one skag, then had the others try to chase after his car. Hugo Vasquez, although he loathed the planet, he often did business on it. Why pay literally billions for a professional when he could easily find some idiot bandit on Pandora who would take a few thousands and call it even?

Hugo stepped into the dingy looking bar, scanning the crowd. He smirked as he spotted a man in the corner. He approached the man, ignoring the looks he got from the other patrons in the bar. "I'm looking for a man by the name of Damien. Is that you?" He questioned. The man looked up from his glass. "Who wants to know?" "Someone who is very interested in being your business partner." He looked Hugo over, scrunching up his nose. "Why should I even be listening to a Hyperion bastard like you?" Damien snarled. "Because I have an offer you can't refuse." Vasquez stated confidently. "I highly doubt it." Damien shoved away from the table, getting ready to leave.

"How does ten million credits sound?" Damien halted for a second. "Still not enough. Alright.... what if I mention this job involves getting _________ ________ in a whole mess of trouble?" This caught Damien's complete attention. He spun around, facing Hugo. "Did you just say __________?" "I knew that'd pique your interest." Vasquez smirked. The man thought it over. "Money up front." Hugo chuckled. "Half now. The rest later." He lifted a brief case onto the table, patting it lightly. A crooked smile appeared on Damien's face. 

"I'm listening."


	8. Jacks and Giggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was nothing wrong with a little self indulgence now and then. (this will be the only dirty bit i write for a while in this fic. anything else that's dirty will come later. just throwing it out there)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name of the chapter was suggested to me by my siblings. i couldn't think of anything better

Jack leaned back in his chair, groaning loudly out of boredom. For the past hour he had been filling out papers. His hand had begun to cramp from signing his name over and over again. He wasn't even half way done. He glared at the stack of papers as though they were mocking him. It was one of the many annoyances that appeared after he took over. He hated signing papers with a passion. He couldn't keep this up for much longer; his hand would be worthless the next two days if he did. Thankfully, he had an ace up his sleeve. A signature stamp! If they didn't like that, then too damn bad. 

Jack began to pull open the drawers of his desk. "Where are you, you little-" He pulled opened one of the bottom drawers to see your lab coat, lazily crammed inside. "Oh yeah..." He had forgotten about it. You'd left it behind after running out of his office the other day. He pulled it out and looked it over. You kept it relatively clean. Jack had hoped you'd come running back into his office so he could tease you more, but you didn't. You didn't show up the day after that either. It was disappointing. 

As he looked your coat over, he noticed the torn seam again. He rested the coat in his lap, wiggling his fingers through the hole. The memory of seeing your arm appeared in his mind. Jack frowned as he recalled your story. The thought of you losing your arm in such a way; it made him want to call you back up to his office and have you tell him where the fuck that asshole was. He knew you wouldn't though; you were too kind hearted in a way. Instead of agreeing and telling him when he first asked, you had tackled him. Jack chuckled at that memory. It wasn't a light tackle either. You had thrown yourself at him with full force. He wasn't mad about it, though. 

Your impulsive actions gave him a good opportunity to get close and personal with you. He could see your scars clearly when you were on top of him. He wanted to know just how many scars you had. You were from Pandora, after all. Jack was certain you had many other scars scattered all over your body. The thought of getting the chance to count them all crossed his mind. He smirked. 

Jack could see himself touching and kissing each one of them while he laid in his bed with you. He began to imagine the noises you'd make, the way you'd say his name, the way you'd squirm under him. The idea of getting you, this person who yelled at him; more than once, into his bed was exciting to say the least. Jack shut his eyes, letting his mind wander. Would you be rough or gentle in bed? Maybe claw his back a little? Would you let him leave marks on you? Jack bit the inside of his lip when he remembered the face you made when he complimented you... Would you act that embarrassed and shy if he touched you, maybe even kissed you? He wondered how your lips tasted. Jack licked his lips and shifted in his chair. 

The image of your hips swinging came forth. He remembered just how in sync with the music you had been. He couldn't really remember the song, but that was the last thing on his mind. He could just see you grinding back against him, swinging those hips. Jack's jeans began to tighten, making him shift in his chair. He imagined you on top of him, swirling your hips, moaning. What if you liked to be dominant?! He gripped the arm of his chair, slowly thrusting his hips to the motion of his imagination. Faster as he thought about you squeezing his throat and biting him. He was probably getting ahead of himself, but boy, he was enjoying himself. Maybe a bit too much. 

Jack opened his eyes to see the bulge forming in his jeans. "Crap." He definitely wouldn't be getting any work done like that. Oh well. Jack pressed a button on his intercom. "Hey Cupcake, go ahead and cancel whatever meeting I have next. I'm going to take a little... break. No calls." He announced to his secretary. "Yes, sir." She answered back a second later. Good. Now he could let his mind wander for a little longer and possible fix his problem. Not that it was really a problem in his eyes. There was nothing wrong with a little self indulgence now and then. 

\--------

You hastily turned away and sneezed. Angel looked at you. "You okay?" You nodded as you grabbed a tissue. "Yeah." You wiped your nose, even though nothing came out. "Guess someone is thinking about me." A light chuckle came from you. "Alright. Just don't sneeze on the food." Angel deadpanned. "I'm not going to sneeze on the food!" You glared. "Hand me that." You pointed to the cheese on the counter.. She handed it over, watching you intently as you cooked. ""Thank you." You began the grate the cheese over and into the bowl. "Pass me the sour cream please." You asked without looking at her. Angel handed it over with a spoon, taking note of everything you did. 

It was one of those days you spent at Jack's penthouse with Angel. It was just you and her this time. Typically, you'd be watching movies, but Angel mentioned being hungry. You offered to cook something, and she leapt at the idea. You had to walk all the way back to your apartment to get some actual food to prepare. "So... you and Jack don't cook very often, do you?" "No. He usually eats pretzels and I end up eating whatever takes the least amount of time to cook. Like microwavable stuff." You cringed both physically and mentally. "What? Gross." 

"What? You don't do that?" She questioned, watching you shaking bacon bits into the bowl. "I do; doesn't mean I like it, though. If I can help it, I try to actually cook.... How the hell does your dad survive on just pretzels?" You finally looked at her, making a face that was a mix of confusion and concern. "He sometimes eats pizza," Angel sighed, "And drinks a lot of alcohol." You stared at her with a furrowed brow, waiting for her to say she was joking. She just starred back. 'Of course she's not joking.'

"The fact that he isn't dead or dying is literally the closest thing to a miracle I've ever heard of." You admitted. Angel just shrugged. You huffed, and began to mix together the contents in the bowl. She watched you again. "Make sure your dad actually eats some of this, okay?" "Why?" You kept your eyes on the food. "Because that idiot needs to eat some actual food before he has a damn heart attack." You also might have wanted to know how he would react to your cooking skills. Angel smirked as if she knew exactly what you were thinking. Too bad you weren't paying any attention to her face. 

"May told me about you and my dad getting it on in his office." You nearly dropped everything at her statement. "What?!" You turned towards her, face red. "May said you threw yourself at my dad the other day, and were caught in some rather scandalous positions." Her smirk grew while your face became a darker shade of red. "MAY!" You screeched. "Yes, _______?" "Why did you tell angel I got it on with Jack?!" Angel and you were both mad, and embarrassed. "Is that not what you were doing?" May asked calmly. "N-NO! We were not doing anything! Why did you tell Angel, of all people?!" You pointed to Angel, who was trying her hardest to hide her laughter. 

May didn't say anything. You felt like you were on fire. Angel finally couldn't hold it in any longer. You glared at her. "It's not funny! I was NOT doing anything with your dad!" You tried to convince her. "Then," She tried to hold her laughter. "Where is your lab coat?" You looked down at yourself. Damn it. You had forgotten that you weren't wearing it. "You left it in his office, didn't you?" Angel questioned, a smug look on her face. 

"It's not what you think! There was a hole in my sleeve!" You defended. She just laughed harder. "S-sure!" Her laughter filled the penthouse. You put your hands over your face, trying to calm yourself. May chuckled lightly. You groaned and sank down into a crouching position. Angel moved closer, patting your back lightly. She was still laughing, though, so you weren't comforted in the least. After a minute of listening to her laugh, you stood. "I'm going home." You stated, grabbing your stuff. Angel stopped laughing instantly. She looked from the bowl to you. 

"No! Please!" She clung to your arm, stopping you from exiting the kitchen. You glared back at her. "Please stay. I'm sorry." She begged. "You were just laughing your ass off about what happened. Why should I stay?" She gripped you harder. "Please! I didn't mean it! I just thought it was funny! I'm sorry!" You continued to glare. "If I stay, will you stop laughing and teasing me?" Angel nodded furiously. "Promise?" "I Promise!" You sighed, and set your bag back down on the counter. "Alright... I'll stay." Angel smiled. "But the moment you tease me again, I'm leaving.' You threatened. Angel nodded. "I won't. I promise." She pulled you back towards the counter. You followed, already starting to forgive her. 

"Keep showing me how to cook." Angel pushed the bowl towards you. Of course." "Yeah. Yeah. Give me those potatoes." And just like that, you went back to work and angel watched.

\-------------

"Alright. Eat up." You set a plate in front of Angel. She didn't even hesitate. Without a second thought, she cut a piece off and ate it. You watched, eagerly waiting for her reaction. She chewed slowly, making sure to savor it. A smile appeared on her face after she swallowed it down. "It's so good!" Angel took another, much larger, bite. You smiled and sat beside her. "I'm glad you like it." She didn't reply. You chuckled lightly. 'Too cute.' You pulled your plate closer and began eating with her, as though you'd skip out on eating a decent meal. 

Angel had finished her first potato and had started on her second in a matter of minutes. If jack had a reaction anything close to hers, you'd be more than happy for the next couple of days. "Don't forget to leave at least two for Jack. I can't have my boss keeling over because he refuses to eat anything good." Angel nodded, swallowing the last bite of her food. "Are you actually concerned about my dad?" Angel poked your side lightly. You stiffened up. What kind of question was that?

"Uh... yeah? Why?" You could already guess where this was going. Angel smiled. "No reason....." She looked around, trying to make it obvious she didn't have another questions. You set your fork down. "What?" You demanded. She looked back at you, a curious gleam in her eyes. "What WERE you doing with my dad in his office?" Your face became red instantly. "I thought you promised to leave this alone!" "I said I wouldn't tease you. I didn't say I wouldn't ask you about it." Angel gave a bullshit grin. She was just like her dad. 

"If you must know, I tackled him. That's all." Angel tilted her head in confusion. "You..... tackled him?" You bite your lip. "Yes! Alright! I tackled him. He wanted to blow someone up because I told him about my arm and I panicked, so I tackled him! Then the stupid secretary came in and caught us on the ground! Nothing happened!" You crossed your arms, angrily pouting. Angel just stared at you, eyes wide. She didn't think you'd actually tell her. She thought you'd get embarrassed again and try to leave. Angel gently patted you on the back. "It's okay, ______. I believe you. I was just teasing earlier." 

You glanced at her. She gave an apologetic smile. You couldn't stay mad at her. You sighed and leaned towards her, resting your head on her shoulder. "You're such a butt." You mumbled. "YOU'RE a butt!" Angel countered, jabbing your side. You jabbed back and chuckled. You were glad Angel knew when to ease up or just apologize. She was a good girl. "I'm so glad we're friends." You whispered just loud enough for her to hear. Angel became a little red now. You snorted at the goofy smile that appeared on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's such a short chapter. I'm trying to ease up a little. make everything build up. Also, thank you for the nice comments. it really makes my day when i read them. i get all blushy and giggly from them. .////.


	9. Double Knows Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the wait, kiddos. I got a little busy and didn't have time for it. The next chapter will definitely be up sooner.

Today was another one of those days you wanted to hide away. John had come around again, he thankfully didn't stay as long as last time. He asked you about the party stuff like before. You hadn't given it any true thought because.... well, you had no interest in going. After you managed to shoo him away, your NEW superior showed up. She attempted to get close and cozy with you; nothing screamed friendship like talking about how good looking the CEO was. She kept mentioning Jack and hinting at what many thought was a sexual relationship between you and him. It took every bit of you being not to punch her. Why did everyone think you were anything other than professional with him?

Angel was the one to make her leave; you were to busy panicking about the rumors that were circulating. You didn't give a crap about normal rumors but they weren't normal. Regular rumors involved things like having an irrational fear of teddy bears or tossing someone into space. Unfortunately for you, these were none of those things. They were about you being your boss's fuck buddy. A total of five people had asked you about it, including Angel and Doug. It made you want to launch yourself into the sun. 

"It's alright, _______. They're just rumors. Like any other gossip, people will forget about it in a week." Angel assured you rubbing circles into your back. You mumbled into your hands, sulking. "What?" She tilted her head. "I said that's easy for you to say... You don't have rumors going around about you doing stuff with YOUR boss!" You whined. Angel sighed and stroked your hair. "I don't have a boss." Angel corrected. You glared at her. "Right... not the point." She murmured. 

"I'm just a nobody engineer who just so happens to talk to him.... Ugh....." You hid your face again, sulking once more. Angel chuckled lightly. "You're more than a nobody engineer. You're the most badass person I know besides my dad.... Maybe even more badass than my dad!" You looked up at her to see her bright smile. You couldn't hold back your smile now. "I'm definitely going to tell him you said that next time I see him." "You wouldn't dare." You smirked. "Oh, I would. If you think I'll pass up the change to see Jack completely dumbfounded, you are very mistaken." Angel crossed her arms, making a pouting face at you. 

"Fine!" She turned on her heel. "Then I'll just have to head back home and let you deal with your coworkers." Her threat made you still. "Go....go ahead! I can handle them." You smirked. You definitely couldn't handle them but you wouldn't let her win, not this time. Angel glanced back at you over her shoulder while taking a large step towards the door. You kept on your smirk, watching her. She'd give in. Angel took another wide step. With as much will power as possible, you watched her walk right out the door. God she was just as cocky as Jack. You were going to win damn it! 

A minute or two passed. You peaked out of your room to see Angel was just gone. You quickly dialed her up on your comm. "Hello~" She answered in a chipper tone. "Angel! Did you seriously leave?!" You thought she'd eventually come back and you could just continue work. "I told you I'd leave, didn't I?" She replied in an arrogant voice. Damn her. "What? Do you want me to come back?" You remained silent. "I'll come back if you say I won and that you won't tell my dad." You clutched your comm tightly. You were going to get her back for this. "No. It's alright. I can handle it." You said confidently. "I can handle it, easy. I've clearly won." You puffed up your chest. 

Angel's light giggle made you deflate. "Yeah, sure. You won't be saying that when John comes back around, asking about going out." You swallowed harshly. Crap. You had to get out of this without losing to Angel. "You know what?" "What?" She replied snidely. "I think I'll just make my way up to Jack's and tell him right now." You smirked and began to head towards the elevator. "Wouldn't that be proving my-" "It's not! I'm doing exactly what I said would do. I'm going to tell him his daughter thinks I'm more badass than him." So what if she was technically winning in a way, you were going to make it seem like you won. You ended the comm call and headed for the elevator.   
"Oh! Hey ________!" John yelled from down the hall. Your heart dropped. 'CRAP!' You picked up the pace and began to speed walk, pretending you hadn't heard him. "Wait _____!" You continued to ignore him even as you stepped into the elevator. He was a few feet from the elevator. "Could you hold-" "Sorry it's already closing!" You shrugged as the doors shut. A sigh of relief left you. 

"That.... was a close one."  
\--------  
You stepped out of the elevator, hoping to just spend time with Jack. He was a pleasant chaotic. You didn't want to admit it but... Jack did make you forget your worries... by causing you different worries. You sighed. As you headed for the door to his office, you noticed the secretary watching you. "Hey." You turned towards her, setting your hand on her desk. "Yes?" She gave a small smile. "Have you been one of the people spreading rumors about me and Jack?" She stiffened at your question. "I don't know what you're talking about." The smile on her face was now forced. You frowned. "Sweet pea, I don't mind you spreading rumors but I do mind," you leaned in close, "being lied to." 

She leaned back in her seat, avoiding eye contact. "I... I promise I didn't start them...." "But you have talked about them." You watched her with an intense stare. She slowly nodded. "I'm sorry...." She whispered out. As much as you wanted to yell at her, you knew she went through a lot on a daily basis. Gossiping was probably the only calm she had. You huffed lightly and pulled back. "It's fine...." She hesitantly relaxed her shoulders.

"As long as you don't start any of the rumors, we won't have any issues..." To tell her to stop now would be pointless. She actually saw you and Jack on the floor; convincing her nothing was going on between you two would be a wasted effort. "Thank you." She mumbled out with a small genuine smile. "No problem...." You looked at her name tag. You hadn't really bothered to know her name until now. "Becca." Now the secretary was beaming at you. Did Jack not use her name or something? Well.... yeah you could see him completely dismissing her name and just calling her some weird pet name or just call her nothing at all. He really needed to be taught some manners at some point. You waved bye and headed into the office. She didn't oppose like she normally did; she was probably still gushing over the fact you said her name and told her she was free to gossip. You really were too kind sometime.

Your eyes landed on Jack at the other end of the room. He wasn't working on his computer like usual. He was starring out of the window. Weird. You didn't take him as someone who would admire space. Maybe he was thinking about blowing up some lunatic camps on Elpis? You shrugged as you headed towards him. "Hey, Jack, You're-" The man jumped at the sound of your voice. That was new. He looked back at you, clearly startled by your presence. This was very out of character for him. "You... alright there, Jack?" You tilted your head. 

He nodded quickly and put on a confident smirk. "Of course I am. I just wasn't expecting anyone.... that's all. Give a guy some warning next time." He sounded like Jack but you didn't truly believe it was him. Jack wouldn't let his guard down like that; not in his office, at least. "Uh huh..." You eyed him suspiciously. He seemed to notice. "What uh.. what did you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" Anger spiked in you. Jack definitely didn't talk like that to you, not since you yelled at him the second time. 

You set your hands on your hip. "Really now? And just what, pray tell, are you doing?" He shifted uncomfortably. "Because to me, it looked like you were starring into the nothingness that is space." There was a few seconds of silence. The guy took on a threatening stance and stepped closer, trying to be intimidating like Jack. "I'm Handsome freaking Jack. I can do whatever I damn well please. The real question is, why are you bothering me? Don't you have work to be doing?" He set his hand on the gun at his side. "I have no need for slackers." 

You had to admit he was very convincing but you knew, for a fact, that he wasn't Handsome Jack. You starred at him blankly. "Yeah, great. Where's the actual Jack?" The imposter deflated for a couple of seconds before puffing back up again. "I am the real Jack." "No. You're not." You deadpanned. He looked around as if there was someone who could help him. It was just you and him, unfortunately. Although you wanted to call the guy out on his bull, you had to do one final test. 

A low sigh came from you. "Honestly, Jack. I thought you'd be happy to see me. After all we've been through." You gave a pouty face, stepping closer. "All of the fun we've had. I thought you'd treat me just a little better than this." The man went rigid as you set your hand on his chest. "You can't tell me it wasn't a little fun, right?" You licked your lips teasingly. He swallowed harshly. "Of.... of course. How could I uh forget..." You pressed against him, making the flirtiest eyes possible. A small part of you wished the real Jack had reacted like this when you tried to fake flirt with him. "You ... you were pretty wild." He was struggling for clues as to who you were and what you might have done with Jack. 

You pulled away, laughing lightly. "I knew you weren't the real Jack!" You giggled, covering your mouth. "What?" The look that crossed his face made you laugh harder. "Oh my god, that was to cute." You bit your lip, trying to hold in your amusement. The man's face became a shade of red. "H....how did you figure it out?" He muttered softly, toying with his clothes. You managed to completely stifle your laughter. 

"Don't get me wrong, you make a very convincing Jack. There are just a few things you need to work on." You leaned back against Jack's desk. "First that gave it away, you jumping. Jack doesn't let his guard down around anyone except for Angel." You folded your arms over your chest. "Two; you haven't called me a pet name literally at all. Jack always calls me "pumpkin" at least five to ten times while I'm around. He also wouldn't threaten me by reaching for his gun. Angel would loose her shit if he shot me." You chuckled. "Jack also has a tendency to put his arm around me whenever he can. You didn't even try to flirt let alone put your arm around me." His eyes became wide as you went on. 

"Jack, also would make a sexual joke at me. Like toying with his gun or something dumb. You also just...." You gestured to all of him. " You don't have the same feel as him. Jack is overzealous and fierce. All I get form you is......" You eyed him closely. He looked himself over. "All I get from you is nerdy." He didn't seem offended by that in the least. You continued. "And finally, me and Jack have never done anything together."

The man completely deflated. He seemed both disappointed, in himself, and amazed at you. "Funny you believed me and him did anything though. Really funny. The thought of me and him...." You wanted to laugh but all you did was make yourself embarrassed by remembering being you and him on the floor. "Aaaanyways...." You changed the subject. 

"I'm going to guess you're like his body double or something, right? You do look like him." He nodded. "I'm Timothy Lawrence." He admitted finally. You smiled. He was very cute. Nothing at all like Jack, but still cute. "________ ________." You replied. "Nice to meet you ______." Oh no, he was cute and formal. "So, you are his body double. I had heard a little about it but I wasn't sure if it was true or not." You looked him over again. "Pretty spot on. You just need that shitty smile of his and I'd never be able to tell the difference." You joked. Timothy chuckled before making the exact smile Jack always had on. You laughed. "That's the one!" He laughed with you this time. "Geez, I hate that smile." You admitted. 

"You what?" A new voice came from the other side. You and Timothy looked back at Jack. He had a curious brow raised. "You hate my smile." He questioned, coming close. "I'm hurt pumpkin. Here I thought you loved me." You snorted and rolled your eyes. "I just hate that fake smile of yours." "All of me is real. Nothing fake here." Tim watched the two of you, trying to keep his smile from showing. "Uh huh.... keep telling yourself that, Handsome." Jack smirked, looking from you to his doppelganger. "So you've met the doppelganger. Did you fall for it?" He asked eagerly. 

You laughed and shook your head. "As if. He's far to cute to be you." You poked Jack's chest lightly. Timothy became red again. Jack looked a little offended. "Tim?" He looked to the double. "Uh...." He looked down ashamed. 'Crap.' Did you get him in trouble? Pushing off of the desk, you clung to Timothy's arm. "He's really convincing. He almost had me actually." Jack crossed his arms. "What gave it away then?" You bit your lip. You didn't want to get Timothy in trouble. He hadn't done anything wrong.   
"Don't be like that Jack. You should be happy I can tell the real deal from a fake." You shot the double an apologetic glance. He didn't seem to mind, he knew you were trying to defend him. "I mean, you're Handsome freaking Jack. How could I not know you from him? You're much sexier." You wished you thought of a different word, but that was all that came to mind. It was the only word you thought could boost his ego. Jack instantly got a cocky smirk. "Of course I'm sexier." He set his arm around your shoulders, pulling you away from Timothy. "Tell me more, pumpkin." He squeezed your shoulder. You sighed internally. 

"As much as I'd love to tell you just how great you are, I came here to tell you something far more important." You pulled away from him, a cocky smirk on your face now. "It involves Angel." He rose a concerned brow. "What? Is She okay? Did something happen?" You groaned. His dad side was adorable, but annoying. "No, Jack. She's fine." You assured him while folding your arms. He switched back to his confident attitude, pretending he wasn't just about to freak out. "Alright, then what?" Your smirk became a full grin. "Come closer." You gestured, leaning close. He moved closer, turning his head to hear you. 

"Angel said I'm more badass than you." You whispered in his ear. His eyes went wide and he pulled back. "SHE DID NOT!" He was immediately on the defense. You chuckled. "Oh I assure you Jack, She did." "YOU LIE!" He looked completely taken aback. "I'm more badass than you~" You teased. He was torn being mad and shocked ."There's no way you're more badass than me! I'm Handsome Jack damn it! I'm the most bad ass, badass around!" You laughed and patted his shoulder. "You USED to be the most badass. Now I am~" You teased more. "I don't believe you!"

You held up a hand, silencing Jack, and fished out your comm. You dialed up Angel and waited. "Gimme a second." You looked at Jack then Timothy, who had been watching everything with amusement. 

"Are you ready to admit you need me down there?" Angel answered smugly. You held in your chuckle. "Angel, you were right." You spoke softly. "I'm still a badass, right?" Angel made a triumph noise. "HA! I knew it!" You glanced at jack, still holding up a finger. "I'm still more badass than Jack right?" You asked sadly. "Well, duh. I mean, admitting you were wrong doesn't make you less of a badass. You're still more badass than my dad." She admitted. Jack's jaw dropped instantly. 

"BETRAYAL!" He shouted loud enough to make you wince. Angel went dead silent. "My own flesh and blood has betrayed me!" He threw his hands up, turning his back to you and Tim. "YOU TRICKED ME _______!" Angel screeched over the comm. You chuckled. "It's like you said, Angel. I'm a badass. Badass people always win." You glanced at Timothy. He was trying to hold in his laughter. He hadn't seen Jack like this in a while; it was beyond funny. "I can't believe you angel! How could you!" He sounded hurt. "Dad! It's not what you think!" "We are going to talk about this later!" He threatened. "Talk to you later Angel." You hung up before they could continue to bicker. Jack ran his hands over his mask, still in shock at what he heard. Timothy let out a small giggle. Jack glared at you. You gave him a cheeky smirk, then stuck your tongue out. "Told ya, handsome~" 

The double finally couldn't contain himself. He burst out laughing. You looked at him, still very happy about what happened. Jack just groaned. "My own daughter. I can never trust again." "Oh quit being so over dramatic, Jack." He glared at you again. You chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better, I still think you're pretty badass." Jack's gaze softened. "Not as badass as me but still a badass." The glare came back. "Anyways, that's all I wanted. I'll be heading back to work now~" You turned on your heel and headed towards the door. "It was nice meeting you Timothy." "Same to you." Tim waved goodbye as you disappeared behind the door. Jack was grumbling to himself when his double turned towards him. Tim starred at Jack with a shit eating grin.

"What?" Jack snapped. "Nothing." Timothy looked away, still smiling like an idiot. Jack huffed and sat in his chair. There was a long awkward silence. 

The double finally decided to break the silence. "Do you like ______?" Jack stilled. "What?" "______. Do. you. like. them?" Timothy asked again. "Are you seriously asking me what I think you're asking me?" Tim nodded in response. Jack rolled his eyes. "Why do you care, cupcake?" Jack was defensive again. "You're not denying it." Tim pointed out. Jack rolled his eyes. "Do I look like I give a damn about them?" 

"Yes." He replied honestly. Jack tensed. "Well, I don't." That was a lie. Tim couldn't hide his smirk. "Alright.... that's a shame. They seem to care a great deal about you." Jack's head snapped up. "How do you know?" Tim looked away from him, hiding the smile on his face. It was easy to bait his boss sometimes. "I mean, I could just be pulling this out of thin air but they were pretty persistent about me being a fake.... They even went as far to tell me where I went wrong." Jack listened intently. "They even called you fierce." It hadn't been a complete compliment when you said it but Tim made it seem like it was. 

Jack was to easy to read when it came to anything that didn't involve killing people. It was easy for Timothy at least. He did have to pretend to be the man. Of course he knew how he worked. He wouldn't still have the job if he didn't. It was odd for Timothy to see Jack acting so friendly towards someone that wasn't him, Angel, or Nisha. Really weird. He didn't oppose it though. Jack definitely needed someone in his life, other than Angel. Someone new.

"It's a true shame.... they have a cute smile.... and a sweet laugh." Tim made a thoughtful face. "Since you're not interested, would you mind if I stepped in and -" Jack was suddenly starring daggers at him. "What are you still doing here? Can't you see I'm busy? I have load of work to do. Work you were supposed to be doing while I was away." Jack growled out. The double put up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll go see how Angel's doing." He stepped away, walking backwards towards the door. 

Once his double was gone, Jack sank in his chair. He had avoided the thought of him possibly liking you up until now. Relationships were not really his thing. It was putting to much trust in someone. Trust was not something Jack was willing to give to anyone. There was only a handful of people he knew he could trust. You were just this person he knew and talked to... and joked with... and had fun with.... He sank further in his chair. The last person he had did any of those things with was Nisha, and he trusted her almost as much as Angel. He still had fun with her, but now it was just in a friend kind of way. Well, there was the occasional visits from her that ended up in his bed. Those nights were rare though. 

He sat back up finally and huffed. So what he thought you were fun? So what if he liked you a little. It was a silly crush; why should he care about a simple crush. You clearly didn't like him back. You probably liked someone else; someone who wasn't known for killing people... or an asshole most of the time... and maybe didn't always carry a gun around... Probably someone a little younger and didn't have a kid. Anyone who wasn't him.... Jack shoulders sank. He was glad he was wearing a mask for a change.

"Back to work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You forgive me for the wait, right? Of course you do. Love ya, cupcake <3


	10. Nice Guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You okay, pumpk-" You wrapped both arms around Jack's midsection and hugged him as tightly as possible.

"So, how long do you plan on avoiding John? This is like the...." Shannon counted her fingers. "Fourth day in a row." You groaned. She sighed and nudged you lightly. "Come on _______. You can't keep hiding yourself in Jack's office." She wiggled her eyebrows as she said your boss's name. You shot her a glare and sank further into the couch. Doug hopped over the back of the furniture and landed next to you. "She's right you know." No response came from you. He shook his head in disappointment. "Just tell him your not interested and move on. Easy." You rolled your eyes. "If it were easy, I would have done it already." You hit him with a cushion.

"How is not easy?" Shannon huffed. "What am I supposed to say to him?" You got up from your seat. "It's not like I can say "Hey John, I'm not interested. Get lost." You made a shooing motion with your hands. Doug rolled his eyes and Shannon giggled. Doug crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "Well, no duh. You shouldn't say that to anyone." He pointed out. "Then what am I supposed to do? I don't want to go with him. I don't want to go at all." You flopped back down into your spot. 

Shannon ran her fingers through your hair gently. "Just be honest with him. John is a good guy. I'm sure he'll understand if you just explain to him it isn't your thing." She gave an encouraging smile. You let out a slow sigh. "I guess.... I'm just not ready for him to act all sad and stuff." "Well, would you rather him be a little sad because you told him no or completely sad because you just blew him off without saying anything?" Doug questioned, pulling open a bag of chips. 

"I just don't understand why he even asked me.... I never really talked to him before he asked me to be his date. The most I usually said to him was 'hi'." You hugged the cushion. "Secret crush? I don't know but you need to tell him." He prodded. "Right now, you're just sort of dragging things out and it's not fair to him and you. The sooner it's over with, the sooner-" "The sooner you can flirt it up with Jack without feeling guilty!" Shannon cut in. You and Doug both looked at her, your face going red. "I do not flirt with him! He's my boss!" 

"Yeah but that doesn't change the fact you like him." She giggled. Your face became cherry red. "I don't! You're just pulling this out of your ass!" "You can keep telling yourself that. You know I'm right." She leaned in close. "You wanna smooch him." You reeled the cushion back before striking Shannon with it. She tumbled off of the couch, laughing hysterically. You climbed on top of her and hit her with the couch pillow, her laughter never faltering. Doug watched you attack Shannon while munching on his chips. "Go for the eyes." He mused dully. 

After a hitting her a few more times, you rolled off of her and huffed. She looked at you, soft giggles escaping her. Doug bit down on a chip. "So, you going to tell John tomorrow?" He questioned. You nodded. "Yeah." Shannon wiggled closer, still smiling at you. "You didn't deny it~" She giggled out. You frowned and hit her with the cushion a final time. "Shut up."

\-----------

You paced your work space, muttering to yourself. John was going to show up sometime soon and you still weren't exactly sure what to say to him. You mulled over it all night and all morning, to this point. Angel was at the penthouse for the time being. You didn't want her around while you told John no. It would already be awkward enough with just you and him, you didn't need her there to add to the awkwardness. "John I don't.... Um... I.." You bit your thumb nail, still pacing. 

"________! You're here!" John appeared in your doorway, a happy smile already on his face. You stopped pacing and turned towards him. "Oh, hey John." You could already feel your throat going dry. "Have you figured out if you wanted to go with me or not?" Straight to the point. You'd hoped he try some small talk first, at least. You rubbed the back of your neck and gave a small smile. "I have put some thought into it...." You muttered out lowly, avoiding his eyes. His smile grew and he moved closer. "Really?" You nodded in reply.

You weren't ready for this kind of thing but you had to do it. You couldn't keep letting him get his hopes up. You just didn't see him that way. He was friendly and kind to you but you didn't really know or like anything about him. You didn't dislike anything either but that wasn't the point. He just wasn't what you wanted, if you even wanted anything. It was literally do it now or suffer later. 

You took in a deep breathe and looked up at John. "Alright... soooo here's the deal... um." You rubbed the back of your neck even more. "I'm... I mean.... I don't want to go to the party with.... yoooouuu......." You watched as John's smile slowly disappeared. 'I'm such a bad person.' You thought to yourself. "I know I made you wait this entire time and I'm sorry. I just don't... I don't see you that way." You rubbed your arm, avoiding his eyes again. "Don't take it the wrong way, John. I think you're great. Fantastic even. I just don't want to go with you... or anyone really. It's like I said before, parties aren't really my thing and-" 

Before you could finished, John snagged your jaw and shoved you back against your work table. Your eyes went wide in shock. He starred down at you, a menacing look in his eyes. He squeezed your jaw, making you wince in pain. "What the hell do you mean "no"? I've been waiting nearly an entire month and all you have the gall to tell me no?!" You tried to push his hand away but he just squeezed harder. "I said I was sorry!" "You think I give a damn about you being "sorry"? Fuck no! I didn't waste all my damn time just for you to tell me that!"

You were actually a little scared of John now. You'd never seen him with such an angry expression. You were used to seeing his sweet, inviting smile. This side of him was unexpected, to say the least. You thought he'd just be sad and accept your answer; not lash out at you with such malice. You were both glad you made Angel stay at the penthouse and unhappy you were alone with this man. 

"L-let go!" You dug your nails into his arm. "I'm not leaving until I get the answer I want." He pulled your head upwards, making you stand on your toes. "I said no." You tried to swing at him with your metal arm but he grabbed it before you could raise it above your shoulder. "What, are you hoping Jack will take you instead? You can't seriously think he'd waste his time with someone like you?" He growled out. Okay, that actually hurt a little. "I can wait as long as it takes, ______." You hated the way he said your name. It made you both angry and terrified. You struggled in his grip, trying to wiggle free. Since when was he so strong? He had never appeared to be the strong type.

"Get off of me you a-" John squeezed hard, silencing you. "Ah ah ah. I'd watch your mouth if I were you." You glared. "If the next thing out of your mouth isn't a yes, then I may just have to kick it up a notch." He smirked, starring down at you with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. You wished someone, anyone, would save you right now. Even Vasquez would be nice compared to this.

\------

Jack stood in the elevator, toying with his gun. Everyone in the elevator with him, was pressed against the walls to give him room. They watched him with the fear of being shot. He had no intention on shooting anyone at the time. The gun was just to torture them a little. Normally, he'd be alone during his ride down. The only reason the other people were there this time, was because he didn't want to wait. He made the elevator stop and rise all the way to his floor. 

When he first stepped into the elevator and pressed the technician floor's button, he received many questioning looks. Well, that was until he pulled his pistol out. If truth be told, he was just passing the time while he waited to reach your floor. He had waited all morning for you to show up and spend time with him. When you failed to arrive after eleven, he began to panic a little. He enjoyed your company; you made him forget his troubles for a while and you made him laugh. His worry wasn't as much for your well being as it was, you getting tired of him.

It was an irrational fear that Jack would never admit to anyone, including himself, but it was a fear he had. He already had so few people in his life. You were one of few that had managed to get close to him. Why shouldn't he be afraid of you getting bored with him? You didn't have to talk to him. You didn't have to tolerate him. You didn't have to be around him. He wanted you around, though. If he couldn't have you in a... romantic way, then he'd have you as a friend or as close to a friend as possible. That wasn't to much to ask, right?

The elevator came to a slow stop then dinged. Jack stepped out when the doors opened. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief and eased from the walls. He smirked and turned on his heel, pointing his gun at them. They all went pale and gasped in terror. They pressed themselves against the walls once more, trying to avoid where he aimed. A low chuckle came from him as the elevator doors slowly shut. "God that never gets old." He chuckled to himself. He turned and headed for your office. Just like in the elevator, people moved as far away from him as possible. It was very amusing. Jack swaggered confidently to your room, eager to startle you from whatever you were working on. 

As he neared the door, he heard muffled arguing. It sounded rather one sided. It couldn't have been you talking though. You're voice wasn't the same pitch as the one he heard. Without the slightest hesitation, Jack opened the door and stepped inside. He was greeted by the sight of you being forcefully held against your desk by some guy. He took in everything before him. The scared look in your eyes, the harsh grip the man had on you, and how close you both were. His anger spiked almost instantly. 

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked calmly, too calmly. John peaked over his shoulder and hastily released you. You clung to your desk so you wouldn't fall to your knees. "Oh. Handsome Jack, sir. It's nice to see you." "Yeah, great. What were you doing to ________?" Jack asked in a threatening tone. John glanced down at you from the corner of his eyes. "We were just talking, sir. Just a small disagreement." Jack looked from him to you. "Oh yeah? What kind of disagreement?"

You rubbed your sore jaw before snapping your head upwards at John. If looks could kills, John would be nothing more than pieces on the ground. You stood, still rubbing your jaw. "We were just arguing about the annual party, Handsome Jack, sir. Someone was just having cold feet." John shot you a quick, threatening glare. "Nothing that can't be settled between us, sir." Jack folded his arm. "Hm." He walked towards you and the man, a skeptical look on his face. Jack shoved John aside and looked you over. "Let me see." He demanded lightly. You removed your hand from your face to show him the red marks on your face. He scowled as he saw them. 

"I'm not going anywhere with him." You growled out, glaring daggers at John. Jack chuckled and put his arm around your shoulders. He pulled you into his side and rubbed your arm with his thumb. He wasn't holding onto you like he normally did. Usually when Jack held you against him, your shoulder was pressed against his side and it was awkward. Instead, your chest was against his side and it was comfortable. "I know, Pumpkin. You're going with me instead." He stated confidently. 

"What?" John asked dumbfounded. "You heard me, cupcake. _______ is MY date for the party." He stated again, squeezing you lightly. "Got a problem with that?" "But-" "But nothing. I said you're to late, pal. Get lost before I change my mind about letting you go." Jack pointed to the door. John headed for the door looking like a dog with it's tail between it's legs. You felt the urge to grab Jack's pistol and shoot him in the back of the head. He would deserve it after what he just tried. 

When John disappeared, you looked up at your boss. "Jack..." He looked down at you, his brow rose. "You okay, pumpk-" You wrapped both arms around Jack's midsection and hugged him as tightly as possible. Jack became stiff at your sudden affection; this was the last thing he expected from you. You simply continued to squeeze him. "Thank you for showing up when you did." You mumbled softly against his chest. You were beyond thankful. If he hadn't shown up, who knew what John would have done... well, besides snap your jaw. 

Jack set his hands lightly on your shoulders, looking around. This was very foreign for Jack. Angel was the only one who ever hugged him so to have you practically crushing him like this was odd. "Thank you." You whispered again. It was different hearing you praise him like this, not that he hated it. He actually liked it. All he did was tell the guy to scram but he could understand your appreciation. Jack chuckled lightly. "What can I say, pumpkin. I'm the hero remember." You slowly pulled away and looked up at him. He frowned as he looked at the red marks again. 

"Is he why you didn't show today?" Jack questioned, touching one of the marks lightly. You nodded. "Yeah... He's the guy that asked me to be his date." You rubbed your jaw lightly. "I told him no and he randomly grabbed me. If you hadn't shown up, he might of done more than leave a few light bruises." You sighed. "I never took him as the violent kind.... Asshole." Jack chuckled at the last part. You smiled. "Thanks for making him go away too. It was really smart of you to say you were taking me. No one would deny you." A light laugh came form you. 

Jack gave a light smile until a thought hit him. This was perfect! He could get an entire night with you. This could be his chance to get his fix and get over his stupid crush. he set his hands on your shoulders and smirked. "I was being serious, pumpkin." Jack informed. You looked back up at him, shock on your face. "What?" "You're coming with me to the party." Jack stepped back. "I hope you have some good clothes because I won't be taking you in your lab coat." You could feel your jaw drop. "B-but..." "No buts, babe. I said you were going with me, so you are." He smirked. "No one would deny me." Jack mused. 

A small part of you thought to say no but you couldn't bring yourself to do so. Jack wasn't anything like John. He wasn't rough with you or talked down to you like your co-worker had been. He may have been at first but that was before you actually knew each other. Jack was actually very friendly and funny, at times. You didn't feel uncomfortable around him. He made sexual jokes that sometimes made you awkward but they were playful jokes; they were meant to tease you. He'd never actually do anything sexual or harassing towards you. Jack wasn't as forceful as people thought he was. Yeah, he'd threaten to kill someone if they didn't do as he demanded but he wasn't a rapist or monster. You actually liked Jack, unlike John.

"I'll take your stunned silence as an okay. I know it's a lot to take in, pumpkin. Not many people get the privilege of being my date to a party." You starred at him wide eyed. "Be ready by seven." He smiled and headed for the door. He stopped before passing through the door frame. "Dress nicely, alright?" After that, he left. You stood there, letting everything that just happened sink in.

You had a date with Handsome Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter had a quick pace to it but i wanted to get to one of the good point. Be ready for the next chapter. It's going to be good and extra long.... hopefully. ;3


	11. Murder is always Romantic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I-is that John? Jack did you vent John?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey kiddos, sorry about the really long wait. Some really, REALLY bad stuff happened and i've been busy trying to pack and take care of things. But as promised, i present to you an extra long chapter!

You looked yourself over in the mirror for the tenth time in an hour. "Nope." That outfit wouldn't work either. It was too casual and informal. You had to at least try to look decent, which was easier said than done like most things as of recently. You didn't own elegant clothing. What was the point in owning something you'd only ever wear once or twice? A long sigh left you as you began to peel your shirt off. Why was this so difficult? Maybe you were over thinking this. Not all of your clothes looked casual. Some were actual work clothes so they seemed somewhat formal, but it still wasn't enough.... There was also a good chance they didn't fit you anymore. After your first year working on Helios, you gave up trying to look professional and just wore whatever you felt like wearing. 

"What the hell am I going to do?" You mumbled to yourself and you pulled your pants off. What were you going to do? You didn't have enough time to run down to a clothing shop on Helios and find something nice. Formal clothes usually had to be fitted and fixed to fit people. It would take a day at the least. You groaned and rubbed your temples. Why hadn't you thought about this crap yesterday? You cursed your laziness. 

It was too late to turn back now. You'd messaged Angel earlier that day, asking her what would happen if you didn't show up. The answer should have been obvious to you. Jack would show up and drag your sorry butt to the party anyways. Or, if he was in a really bad mood, throw a temper tantrum and kill some people. You didn't expect the latter to happen since Jack seemed overly calm when it came to you. Either way, you didn't have much of a choice. You didn't really want to ditch Jack. You just didn't want to disappoint him with your sense of fashion. 

Going as Jack's date might actually prove to be fun. He'd keep you close, making sure everyone knew you were his date. He was the type to show off, not that you were much to show off but he'd act like you were. No one would approach you if Jack was within ten feet of you. You wouldn't have to worry about people mentioning your arm! No sane person would make fun of your arm if the CEO was your date. This would be your chance to see the full extent of the party without some asshole touching your arm or trying to talk to you. It actually excited you. 

You starred at the articles of clothing haphazardly tossed on your bed. None of them really fit the formal genre. You rubbed your temples again and began to pace. You had maybe an hour and a half to get ready. Why was this so fucking difficult?! Just as you were contemplating the places you could hide on space station, your friends burst into your room. Shannon, Angel, Doug, and finally Penny funneled into the room.

"See! I told you she wouldn't be ready." Shannon pointed at you. You put your hands over yourself in a poor attempt to cover up. You were in your underpants but you still felt overly exposed. "Why are you guys here? Why didn't you knock?" You frowned at them. Angel smiled and moved closer, holding out a box. "They told me you didn't have any clothes for the party, so I went and got some." She shoved it into your hands. You looked at Shannon, raising a confused brow. "How did you know I needed clothing?" She scoffed in reply. 

"I've known you for how long? I've seen the extent of your wardrobe." She smiled. "Plus, I have a sixth sense that tells me when you're stressing out more than usual." Everyone gave her a weird look at that. You glanced down at the box, opening it. Your eyes went wide. "Please tell me you just had this laying around and you didn't just buy it!" Angel gave an innocent shrug. "This looks like it cost more than I get paid in a year!" You screeched. "Only the best for my dad's date." She replied. "Come on! Put it on already." Doug finally spoke up. He put his hand around Penny's waist, escorting her out of the room. Angel and Shannon followed them. 

Once the door was shut, you looked back down at the box. You set it down and pulled out it's content, looking them over. You almost wanted to cry over it's quality material. You were going to spend the rest of your life trying to pay them back for this. You had the greatest friends in the world. You quickly began to change into your new outfit. You were careful in your haste. If you tore it in the middle of putting it on, you'd probably cardiac arrest.

"Are you done yet?" Penny asked from the other side of the door. "Almost. Hold on." You pulled the last piece and looked yourself over in the mirror. It was mostly black. The few bits that weren't black, were the annoying yellow that was Hyperion. That would definitely make Jack happy. Hell, you were more than happy with it. You smiled at your reflection. It hugged all of the right spots and left other part up to imagination. You secretly hoped you'd make at least one jaw drop, namely Jack's.

"Alright! I'm done!" You pulled open your door and posed. Angel clapped her hands together. "I knew it would look good!" Penny, Shannon, and Doug smiled in approval. "It looks better than good." Shannon admitted as she moved closer, brush in hand. "Just gotta fix the hair." She began to brush and shift your hair around until she was satisfied. "Jack is going to be so love struck at the sight of you." She glanced to Angel, smiling. You squinted at the two. "Why are you so interested in me and him being a thing?"

"Don't know what you're talking about." Shannon said dismissively. You continued to eye them suspiciously until Doug moved closer. He adjust your clothes a little, looking you over. "Put your shoes on and lets go. I don't think Jack likes to wait." He stepped back. Everyone gave you a final once over. You quickly put on your nicest shoes while your friends moved out of the apartment. You glanced around, feeling yourself up. "Oh yeah. You quickly grabbed your comm and keys before hastily exiting the apartment. 

\------------

Jack tapped his foot impatiently. He would be pacing if so many of his employees were around. If they saw him acting so antsy, they might think something bad was about to happen. He needed things to stay calm. He wanted things to go smoothly with you.... if you ever showed up! He knew he shouldn't be so impatient since it was still early. Jack was also waiting for Angel. She said she was going to stop by your place and pick you up, which looking back on it, he should have been the one to do that. It was to late for that now. Ugh! Why did you have to take so long? Why couldn't you just be here now?

He refused to believe you'd ditch him. You'd never run from Jack. At least... he didn't think you would. No. You were many things but a coward was not one of them. You were probably having a hard time finding clothes or you couldn't get your hair just right. Something silly like that. He could wait. He could handle a couple more minutes. He could and he would. 

Jack quit bouncing his heel and pulled his comm out. Maybe looking at his work schedule would make time go by faster. As he looked at the hologram screen, he noticed a familiar face entering the hall. His anger spiked at the sight of John. His grip on the comm tightened, threatening to break it. That bastard had his arm around some girl's waist. That prick had found a new date. He found it too fast if you asked Jack. It was clear John had this girl as a backup plan or he forced her to go like he had tried to do to you. What a low life. It made Jack's blood boil.

She was hardly a replacement as well. Very few people could be compared to you. You were strong both physically and mentally. You'd punch someone in the face if they got out of line and you wouldn't let anyone talk down to you. Both of these traits made you sexy.

Jack looked the man up and down, scowling. John must have felt eyes on him because he looked in Jack's direction. He immediately averted his eyes and pulled his date along faster. That man didn't deserve the right to be anywhere near you. He should have killed the man when he had the chance. Well, he could still kill him but he needed to keep his cool. 'No killing tonight.' He reminded himself. He wanted to show you he had restraint and that he didn't have to kill every asshole he met. 

He didn't think..... no, he knew it wouldn't get him any closer to you romantically, but that didn't stop him from trying. He wouldn't stop killing completely. He didn't have time for firing people but he would at least try to hold back a little. Maybe appearing to be less of a psychopath would make him more appealing. You never did mention Jack's murderous habits to him but he had a feeling you didn't like it. After you tackled him, it seemed pretty clear you didn't favor killing. 

A low sigh escaped Jack as he straightened up, adjusting his suit. He glanced at the time and bit the inside of his cheek. 'Come on already, pumpkin. Let me see that pretty smile of-'

"Jack!" Your voice brought Jack out of his thoughts. He looked over at the elevator to see you and Angel. You smiled and waved to him as you approached him. Jack's eyes were wide as he looked you over. He was floored a the sight of you. If he hadn't noticed the smug look on his daughter's face, he might have started to drool. Jack quickly composed himself and smiled. "Finally! I was starting to think you got cold feet." You stood in front of him, rubbing the back of your neck. "Sorry. I had... a bit of a issue with my wardrobe." You admitted quietly. He felt relief. He had been right. It had just been something silly making you run a little slow. You'd never just up and leave him.

"I hope you feel lucky, pumpkin. Handsome Jack waits for no one." He chuckled. "I feel so honored." You shot back sarcastically. Doug cleared his throat, catching your attention. "Oh. Jack, these are my friends." You gestured towards the group of three. "Doug, Shannon, and Penny." You pointed to each as you said their name. It was time for Jack to assess your friends. None of them were what he really expected. He thought you'd hang around a tougher looking group. Jack offered his hand to them. He squeezed Doug's tightly, making him wince slightly. He wasn't strong physically, that much was obvious. When you shot him a warning glare he eased up. It was a force of habit to assert dominance. He shook Penny's hand next, without squeezing this time. She offered a sweet smile. He could already tell she was soft spoken and too friendly for her own good. When he came to Shannon, she gripped his hand hard. He was taken by surprise the amount of force she put into the squeeze. He looked at their hands, back to her face. She smiled but the look in her eyes screamed 'hurt _____ and I'll do more than hurt you'. She released his hand, still giving that innocent smile. Shannon confused Jack. She looked just as kind-hearted as Penny but the way she eyed Jack made her seem like a skag mother ready to bite him if she thought of him as a threat.

You gave Jack a happy smile, making him forget the silent threat he just received from your friend. Angel glanced from you to her dad, a smug smile in place. Jack noticed and turned towards the door. "Well, come on then. Can't keep 'em waiting." Before he could take a step, you set your hand on his arm and moved closer. "Ready when you are." He looked down at the hand on him. You glanced down at your hand as well. Were you not supposed to touch him? Weren't you supposed to loop your arm with his when you entered? Isn't that what you do in this situation?

Just as you began to pull away, Jack put his hand over yours and pulled you towards the door. Angel walked beside you while your friends stayed a few steps behind you. You glanced back at your friends. You noticed Penny held onto Doug the way you were holding onto Jack. 'So he actually asked her to be his date.' Doug had the goofiest smile on his face. You snorted and looked ahead as the light from the party greeted you. 

The mass of people parted as Jack entered. Their eyes were on him at first until they noticed you on his arm. You ignored their stares and simply squeezed Jack's forearm lightly. Jack snagged a glass of scotch from one of the employees and downed half of it. He would have easily drank it all but you were there. He didn't need to smell like alcohol at a time like this. Jack halted once he reached the steps that lead to the stage. "Ready for your favorite part of the party?" He asked with a grin. You rolled your eyes but smiled none the less. "I can hardly contain myself." Jack removed your hand from his arm, holding onto it for a brief second. "Stay right here." You looked around, taking note of Angel standing a foot or so behind you. "As if I'd leave. Can't risk you getting stage fright and me not being around to help." You gave a cheeky smile.

Jack's smile widened at your sass. He squeezed your hand gently before finally letting go and walking up onto the stage. "How ya doing tonight folks?" He began. You crossed your arm, watching him. "Handsome Jack here. Your favorite CEO, in the flesh." He took a sip of the scotch again before resting his hands on the podium. "I'm proud of you! You managed to not screw up to badly this year! The few of you who did screw things up, well.... let's not worry about those people. They're long dead." Jack continued to ramble, giving passive aggressive praise here and there.

You listening to your boss talk for a solid twenty minutes. Jack could talk forever if he wanted to. You looked at Angel, ready to say something about Jack until you felt a hand on your arm. You looked down at the hand then up at it's owner. Your heart sank as your eyes met with John's. He gave a smile. "Hey _________." He slurred your name. The smell of alcohol hit you the second he opened his mouth. You scrunched up your nose and pulled your arm away. "What do you want John?" You hissed bitterly. "Everything okay, _____?" Angel touched your shoulder lightly. 'Crap.' You couldn't argue with John right next to Angel. She might snap at him and John being the asshole he is, might try something. You wouldn't permit that.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Could you go get me something to drink please?" You pointed to the closest punch table. It wasn't too far from the stage which would keep Jack calm and it would give you enough space to tell John to piss off. She nodded hesitantly and walked awake. John set his arm around your shoulders, instantly shaking you from your thoughts. You frowned. "What the hell do you want?" You growled out again. He shifted closer. "I wanted to see if Jack was all you thought he was cracked up to be." He smirked. "Prolly not. I saw him lookin' at my date. She's definitely an upgrade compared ta youu." He slurred again, poking your chest as he said 'you'. 

You pulled his arm off and shoved him away. "Jack is a million times better than you." You stated lowly so Jack wouldn't hear. You jabbed John's chest harshly with your metal fingers. "If your dates so perfect then where is she? Did you even bother keeping track of her?" John looked down at your hand before snagging it. "I know exactly where she is. More to the point-" He spat as he put extra, unneeded emphasis on the 't' at the end of 'point'. You wiped your face in disgust with your free hand. "D'you really think Jack's impressed with this?" He yanked on your metal arm, making you stumble. God, he was such an asshole. "No one is interested in a one 'rm freak like you."

"If I recall correctly, you're the one who threw a tantrum when I told you no. It's good to see you understand that you're a no one!" You snarled out as you swatted his hand away. "Why don't you go play with the poor girl you forced to be your date. I have better things to do that entertain a drunk like you." John glared at you, you returned the glare with an even harder one. 

\--

Jack was in the middle of talking about how heroic he was when he noticed you jabbing at someone from the corner of his eye. He quickly glanced in your direction, still talking about how he saved Elpis. Seeing John near you made Jack's anger come forth once again. He squeezed the glass in his hand until it shattered, making half of his audience gasp. One of employees that were directly in front of the stage quickly held out a handkerchief. Jack took it and began to wipe his hands. "Thanks, kiddo. Need more handy people like you around." He smiled at the audience, continuing his story. 

His eyes flickered towards you multiple times. He kept his head forward so the audience wouldn't shift their attention to you. He had to keep his cool. That idiot, John, wouldn't dare try anything in the open like this. Or, that's what Jack thought until he saw John grab your metal arm. He gripped the podium until his knuckles were white and forced his eyes forward again, trying to hold in the rage that was slowly building inside of him. He was going to kill John. There was no avoiding now. He just had to make it through the rest of his story then he could strangle the life out of him. He glanced back at you to see you swat John's hand away and say something to him. Whatever you said to him obviously didn't sit well. 'That's right, _______. put that idiot in his place.' Jack thought to himself. John seemed to be done trying to converse with you. He turned and headed back into the mass of people. Jack would be able to find him later. He knew his face and would easily be able to spot him. 

He looked at you again to see you fold your arms and glare at the ground. 'Don't let that idiot get to you damn it. He's just a soon to be dead asshole.' Jack thought. He turned his attention towards the audience again and quickly finished up his story. "Anyways, enjoy the party! You earned it." He smiled at the audience as they applaud. He turned on his heel and strode off of the stage towards you. "What did you think of the speech, pumpkin?" 

You hadn't even noticed Jack had finished his speech. You had been to busy grumbling thoughts of murder to yourself. You looked up from the ground and forced a smile. "It was great Jack. Better than the one you did last year. No one can give a better speech." You shoved your angry thoughts to the back of your mind. "Here's your drink!" Angel chirped as she appeared beside you. "Great story dad. It gets better every time you tell it." She spoke sarcastically. You took the drink from her and sipped it. Jack watched you. He could tell you were trying to hide your anger. You were pretending to be okay so he wouldn't suspect anything. Unfortunately, the image of John grabbing you continuously played in his head. 

"I'll be right back. I need to go have a chat with one of the security guards." He gave a reassuring smile to you and Angel before strutting off as he pulled his comm out of his pocket. Like before, the crowd parted as he headed towards the other side of the room.

You looked down at your glass, swirling the liquid inside. "Who was that guy you were talking to?" Angel questioned. You looked up from your glass. "No one important." "Then what did he want?" She prodded. You shrugged. "He wanted to know about a gun I fixed or something. It doesn't matter. Let's forget about him." You smiled. Angel didn't ask about him again. Instead she nodded and grabbed your hand, pulling you towards your friends who had stayed back with the rest of the Helios employees. 

\--

Jack followed John out into the hallway outside of the party room, tucking away his comm once more. He took wide strides as he came up behind the man. "Hey princess." Jack called out, making John looked back at him. The man froze at the sight of the CEO. Jack smirked as he came to a stop in front of him. "H-handsome Jack, sir..." "The one and only." Jack replied. Before John could shrink away, Jack clamped his hand on his shoulder. "Mind telling me why you thought putting your disgusting hands on my date was okay?" Jack squeezed harshly, making the man wince. 

Jack didn't wait for a reply. There was nothing the man could say to redeem himself. "Ya see, I have a problem with people like you touching what belongs to me." Jack shoved John, making him walk with him. "I especially don't like it when said people, grab at them and yank them around like their a toy." Jack gave another threatening squeeze. "Do you see what I'm getting at, princess?" John only nodded. Jack continued to push John along. "Now you see, this is the second time you've laid your hands on _____ and we can't have that, now can we-" "Please, Handsome Jack, sir. I won't-" 

"Don't interrupt me." Jack growled. "As I was saying... I let slide the first time you did it. I was more than willing to let you live kiddo." Jack stopped and pulled John in front of him. "Please sir, I-" "Unfortunately for you, I can't let it happen again." John put his hands together in a pleading motion. "Please Handsome Jack, sir, it won't happen again. I won't go anywhere near ________." He begged. Jack laughed, releasing John's shoulder finally. John gave a wary smile. Jack suddenly stopped his laughter, a cruel grin appearing on his face. "I know you won't, cupcake." 

A door opened behind John, making him look back. Jack's heel crashed against the man's chest, sending him backward into the room. Jack pressed a button and the door slid shut. John looked around frantically. "AIRLOCK SEALED. PREPARING TO VENT CONTENT OF AIRLOCK." May's voice announced. John gasped in horror and crawled frantically towards the door and tried to pry it open. "NO! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" He slammed his fist against the metal door as Jack laughed. The large airlock doors open and John screamed as he was sucked out into space.

Jack let out a content sigh. "Ah man, that never gets old." He smirked and fixed his clothing as he headed back towards the party.

\---

You nudged Doug as you watched Shannon, Penny and Angel converse. "Why didn't you tell me you ask Penny to be your date?" He looked at you, his face growing red. "I didn't think it was important." You gasped and nudged him again. "What do you mean 'not important'? It's very important. My sweet little Doug got himself a date! You're growing up so fast!" You teased loudly, making the others look at you. Doug frowned, turning another shade of red. "Shut up!" "Don't be like that Dougy. I'm so proud of you. You're a big boy now! You can finally sit at the adult table with us." You teased more, making Shannon giggle. 

"I could say the same about you. So when do you plan on smooching Jack?" Now it was your turn to turn red. "I don't have the slightest clue what you're going on about." You folded your arms, looking away. "Aww don't be like that ________. I'm SOO proud of you!" He mocked. You shoved him playfully. "Shut up." "Make me." He challenged. "I don't want to embarrass you in front of your date." You smirked. 

"Hey kiddos!" Jack set his hand on your hip as he appeared beside you. You looked at him and smiled. "That took a while. Everything okay?" "Everything is peachy, pumpkin! Don't worry your pretty little head." He grinned happily. Angel moved away from the other girls. "Dad, we have to go upstairs soon." Jack smile fell slightly. "What's upstairs?" You asked innocently. "It's where the real party is." Jack replied. That wasn't much of an answer but you didn't question him. "Come on then." Jack removed his hand from your hip and offered his arm to you again. You looped your arm with his and followed him. "See ya guys later." You waved goodbye to your friends. Angel was at your side as you headed out of the room with him. You gave her a questioning look. She simply smiled at you. 

\---

One short elevator ride and an even shorter walk, you found yourself in a new room with unfamiliar faces. Jack pulled your closer as he made his way farther into the room. Some of the strangers glanced in your direction but didn't seem truly interested. "Jack, who are these people?" You whispered softly. He looked back at you. "Our competitors." He admitted without a second thought. "Oh." That's all that could say as a reply. You glanced around again. There were a few people you recognized now. They were the heads of some of the departments on Helios. "Oh.... OH!" This wasn't really a party. It was a gathering of the companies. They were here to discuss working together and gloat about successful models.

Jack chuckled, pulling you from your thoughts. "Glad to see you caught on before I had to explain." You looked to Angel, who had moved closer. "So, this is what that party is for? To keep all of the employees away from these guys?" Jack nodded as he came to the bar in the room. He pulled out a stool for you, which you hesitantly climbed into. "And.... you have to come up here and talk to these stuck ups?" You questioned again. Jack barked out a laugh, drawing some attention from the people around him. "Oh pumpkin, talk is the light way of putting it." He chuckled and looked to the bartender. He raised two fingers to the man before turning his attention back to you. 

"Geez, is it really that bad?" You looked around again. "If I had to choose between fighting off a Rakk nest with my bare hands and talking to these guys, I'd choose the rakk nest." Jack took both drinks from the bartender, holding one out to you. "Yeesh." You accepted the drink. "Yup." Jack responded, downing his entire drink. You chuckled lightly as he set his glass down and groaned from the light burn in his throat. "What?" He looked at you raising a brow. 

"It sounds like you're scared of these dorks." You sipped the drink. Jack inched closer. "Handsome Jack isn't afraid of anything." "That's not what it sounds like to me." You gave Jack a challenging smirk as you rested your elbow on the counter. "Feeling cocky tonight, pumpkin?" "Not at all. I'm just calling it as I see it." You took another sip of your drink and licked your lips. Jack looked down at your lips then back up at your eyes. "You're free to prove me wrong, Handsome." He smirked. "Will I get a reward if I do?" He asked in a flirty tone. Before you could respond, Angel cleared her throat. You looked at her. "Oh, Angel! Ha ha. How long have you been there?" You rubbed the back of your neck nervously. You'd forgotten she was there.

"The entire time." She deadpanned. 'Well, shit.' Angel grabbed her dad's sleeve. "The Maliwan CEO has been staring at you for the past five minutes." Jack pushed away from the bar and sighed. "Of course she has." You slid off of the stool and set down your drink. "You don't seem to happy about talking to her." "Oh, I'm more than happy, pumpkin. Last time she was here, She tried to shoot me and I tried shoot her. Great times." Your knitted your brows together. "Is that how you normally try to make friends?" Jack chuckled again. "You could say that." Jack grabbed Angel's hand and moved her so she was beside you. 

"Stay close to one another. And more importantly, stay close to me, okay?" Angel nodded instantly. You looked from her back to Jack before nodding. "Good." He smiled and turned, heading towards the female CEO. Angel grabbed your hand and tugged you along. You laced your fingers with hers and walked hastily along side her. "Does Jack normally let you be here with him?" A light giggle came from the young girl. "No. This is maybe my third time being here. He usually makes me go home when he has to come up here. He doesn't like me being around these people. He says they're dangerous." She admitted. 

"What? Really? Then why are is he letting you be here now?" You questioned again. Angel shrugged and smiled at you. "Probably because you're here? You wouldn't let them hurt me would you?" You squeezed her hand. "Like hell I would. I'd beat them to death for even considering it." You growled lowly. "That right there! That's why." She giggled again. It took you a moment to understand what she meant. 'Oh.' you thought. Jack knew you could handle yourself and he knew you'd attack anyone that got to close to Angel. 'That sneaky son of a-'

"Handsome Jack. Always a pleasure to see you. I thought you were going to avoid me all night." An unfamiliar female voice greeted. You looked at the owner of the voice and was stunned by her beauty. She was around the same age as Jack and just as good looking. You let your eyes roam, taking in her appearance. The first thing you noticed about her was the scar starting at the corner of her right eye flowing down to her jaw. "I wouldn't dream of it, Bryn. You're the only decent business partner here." She chuckled. "Already trying to butter me up, I see." Jack chuckled in response. "What if I am?"

The woman looked to Angel, her lips curving into a smile. "Angel, long time no see." "Same to you." Angel replied sweetly. Bryn, as Jack called her, then shifted her gaze to you. She chuckled causing you to finally force your eyes back up to her face. "And who is this sweet little treat?" Jack looked back at you before smiling and putting his arm around your waste again. He pulled you forward. "This is my lovely date for the night. ________ _______." Bryn stepped closer and took your metal hand in hers. She raised it to her lips and planted a gentle kiss on your knuckles. 

"It's a more than a pleasure to meet you, ________." She smiled at you and winked. Your sputtered as your cheeks turned bright red. "S-same....." Jack looked down at you then to Bryn. He frowned and pulled you away from the woman. "Alright. Hands off of my date." He turned away from her, looking at you with knitted brows. "What the hell was that, pumpkin?" He whispered in an annoyed tone. You looked up at him and swallowed. "S-she's really pretty...." He groaned and rolled his eyes. "Go back to the bar with Angel." He pushed you towards his daughter before turning back to the Maliwan CEO.

Angel grabbed your hand and began to pull you back to the bar. She snorted and giggled lightly. "Did you seriously just flirt with one of my dad's rivals?" You snapped out of your daze and looked at her with confusion. "Flirt? I wasn't flirting with her! I just thought she was pretty!" You tried to defend. "I'm pretty sure that's not what my dad thought. He looked pretty upset." She giggled again. "But I wasn't! She's the one that kissed my hand! Not the other way around!" Angel just giggled again.

\--

You watched Jack shift from one side of the room to the other for an entire hour. You were bored out of your mind at the bar. Angel was with you but she wasn't much help. She just teased you about flirting with Bryn or for watching her dad so closely. It was annoying. At one point, you pulled out your comm and began messaging Shannon. That was entertaining for about ten minutes until she stop messaging back. You turned back towards the bar and huffed. This was not how you thought your night would go. Watching Jack shuffle around a boring room, talking to boring snobs was not ideal. You would rather be downstairs having some drunk idiot trying to touch your arm over this. Anything was better than this. The highlight of your night was having Bryn kiss your hand. You wish you could go talk to her again but you knew Jack would lose his shit if you did.

Looking at the bartender, you sighed. "Get me something fruity please." He nodded and began to make your drink. You weren't going to get drunk but god you needed a drink. Anything to take your mind off of how bored you were. Angel scooted her stool closer to yours and nudged you. "______." You didn't respond. She nudged you again. Still nothing. Angel huffed and began to jab your side repeatedly. This really wasn't how you saw your night going.

Finally unable to ignore the slow pain forming in your side, you turned towards Angel. "What?" She smiled innocently. "Could you order me a drink?" You rose a brow. "Order one yourself." You huffed. Angel jutted out her lower lip. "You know I can't order anything. You have to order it for me." She prodded your side once more. "Yeah sure, I'll order you a drink. I'm all for Jack coming over here and strangling me for giving his daughter booze." You rolled your eyes. Angel folded her arms and pouted. 

"Come on ________. I'm bored and thirsty." "That makes two of us, darling." You replied. Angel starred at you, her puppy eyes already in motion. You glanced at her before quickly averting your eyes. "Damn it Angel." " Pleeeeeaaaaseee." She whined at you. You pushed away from the bar and slid out of your stool. "I'm going to go get your dad. This is bull crap." You pointed at the bar tender. "You. Watch her. If anyone approaches her, you offer them a drink and keep them away from her. If I come back and some jerk is anywhere near her, I'll drown you in your own booze." The man nodded instantly. "Also, get her some freaking water." With that final command, you turned and headed towards Jack. 

You stalked towards the man, ready to chew his ass out for ignoring you for so long. Before you could make it even half way, though, an unfamiliar man stepped in front of you. "Excuse me." He muttered lowly. You looked up at him. "Yes?" He smiled and offered his hand to you. "I'm the CEO of Jakobs, Cedric Qualms. You can just call me Cedric." Looking him over, you noticed a few things right off the bat. He was younger than most of the people in the room. He smelt too strongly of cologne. And finally, the vengeful gleam in his eyes. You slowly took his hand. "Nice to meet you? I'm _____ ______." "Oh I know who you are." He smirked. You instantly pulled your hand away. "Is there something I can help you with?" "I can think of a few things."

\--

Angel watched as you began to talk to Cedric. She frowned and slid out of her stool. "Thanks for the water." She hurried towards her father, hoping to get to him before Cedric caused you to much trouble. If there was anyone you should stay far away from, It was that man. Unknown to you, Jack and Cedric had a bit of a falling out the last time he was here, which just so happened to be the day you were caught on top of Jack. He made the mistake of trying to talk about you to get on Jack's good side. It obviously didn't go well when he implied you were a typical office whore. Jack had to use every bit of his willpower to not shoot the man after that. He didn't need to start a war with Jakobs.

Coming up behind her dad, Angel grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged. "Dad." He looked back at her. "What baby? Can't you see daddy is busy." She rolled her eyes. "It's about -" "Where's ______? Why aren't you with them?" Jack interrupted her. "That's what I'm trying to tell-" "Did they go home without telling me?" He asked, obviously a little panicked. Angel groaned and shook her head. "No! Will you just listen? _____'s over there with Cedric." Angel pointed in your direction. Jack's head shot up. He frowned instantly. 

Cedric was close to you, too close. He had a drink held out to you with a flirty smile on his face. "What the hell is _______ doing with him?" He pulled Angel away from the group of people he was previously talking to. "__________ was getting annoyed with waiting around for you to pay attention to them so they were coming over here to talk to you. Cedric stopped them before they could reach you though." Jack sighed. "Why didn't you keep them company, Angel?" "I was! But I'm not _______'s date, remember? I don't know what you were expecting to happen. You can't just ditch your date half way through the night and expect them to be okay with it." Angel set her hands on her hips. 

"Are you sassing me?" Jack questioned his daughter. "I might be." She admitted with a smirk. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Angel go back to the bar and I'll-" I'm going home. This is boring and I have a book at home with my name on it." She stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Try not to kill anyone in front of ________." Jack watched his daughter as she headed off to the exit. He quickly pulled out his comm and dialed up security as he walked towards you and Cedric. "Make sure Angel gets to the penthouse safe." He commanded. "Yes sir." A voice from the comm responded.

\--

You slowly accepted the drink Cedric offered you. You definitely weren't going to drink it. The moment you were away from him, you were going to dump it into one of the potted plants. "So tell me ________. Do you usually sleep with your bosses?" The question floored you. You squeezed the glass in hand as you starred at the man. "E-excuse me?" Cedric gave a flirtatious smile. "I'm aware of your and Jack's little arrangement. I was there that day, remember?" It took you few seconds before you finally remembered him. He was the man you bumped into as you left. Why the hell was he talking about this with you?! How did he even know you had been getting close and personal with Jack?! He hadn't seen that much! He had only been able to witness you leaving the room! What the hell was going on?!

"I'm not judging." He raised his hands in defense. You just starred at him, unable to form a real thought. "I'm just a little curious." He looked you up and down. "I'm sure a man like Jack doesn't treat someone like you with enough care. I'm aware you're still down working in the tech labs." Cedric took a small sip from his drink. "I thought he'd be at least kind enough to make you his PA. Make it easier for you to get to his office." Where the hell was this going?!

"Is Handsome Jack really what you want?" He questioned. What the hell was he getting at? You still couldn't find the right words. "I didn't think so." Cedric set his glass down on a table near by. "I'm willing to make an offer to you, ________. One I think you might like." 'Oh fuck.' You knew exactly where he was going with this. He continued. "If a sweet thing like you were to come work for me, I could assure a position as my PA. I'd even let your desk be right in my office with me." He reached up and brushed his thumb against your cheek. "If you're a good pet, I will even give you a promotion." That made you snap. You were already bad mood from John being an ass and Jack ignoring you for the past hour and a half. There was no holding back. You were going to literally break this man. Reaching up, you grabbed his index finger and forced it back harshly.

Jack approached you from behind, ready to separate you and Cedric, until he saw you break the man's finger. He stopped a few feet behind you, his eyes going wide.

Cedric let out a pained shriek as it snapped. "Let me guess. The promotion involves me having my own special doggy bed under your desk? Maybe a fancy little collar to go with it?" You smiled at him, your words soaked in poison. You shifted your grip to his middle fingers and began to push it back like the previous one. "Y'know, sweet pea, when you offer something to someone, you're supposed to make it worth the person's time." You snapped his middle finger, making him cry out again and fall to his knees. This time you managed to draw some attention. You didn't care though. You were going to make sure this man learned his place.

You dumped the drink he had handed you onto his lap then leaned down. "What makes you think I'm interested in playing with a sad child like you? Do I look like a babysitter to you?" Cedric reached under his coat with is free hand and pulled out a gun. Before he could aim, you grabbed the gun and pointed it up. He pulled the trigger, blowing a hole in the ceiling. Now you had the entire room's attention on you. You looked up at the hole then back down at him. 

"That's really the best you can do? For shame Cedric.... I'm not even five feet in front of you and you missed." You mocked lowly. "You bitch." He hissed. You frowned and snapped another finger backwards. He screeched again, his body starting to tremble. "You really should learn when to shut your mouth, sweet pea. First you offer me absolutely nothing, then you call me a bitch. I'd be offended if you weren't such a waste of space." Yanking the gun out of his grip, you pressed it against his throat. "I'm willing to this all go, if you say your sorry. if not-" You pressed it harder against him. "There will be one less sleaze ball on this station."

He starred at you with complete horror. Although you hated to admit it, you felt beyond powerful at that moment. This sniveling pervert had three broken fingers and a gun aimed at him. He had zero control of the situation and it excited you.

"Today, sweet pea. I don't have all night." He opened his mouth but nothing came out. "I'll give you to the count of five. One.... two.... three." You began to press your finger against the trigger. "I'M SORRY!" Cedric finally screamed. You smiled like before and lowered the gun, releasing his broken hand. You stood tall and looked the gun over as though you hadn't just been using it to threaten the man. "See? That wasn't so hard now was it? I'm so glad we could straighten this out." A random person cleared their throat, making you look around. You glanced behind you to see Jack. 'Oh crap. He saw all of that, didn't he?'

Jack stared at you, jaw slack and eyes wide. You looked down at the gun in your hands and felt regret. 'Oh god.' You probably just embarrassed the hell out of him with that performance. "U-um...." You didn't know what to say. What could you say? You'd just threatened one of his rivals and made a show out of it. Everyone saw you snap the man's fingers then aim at him. You started to feel embarrassed. If Jack didn't kill you, you might just do it yourself. 

"_______." Jack said your name softly, making you flinch. 'Here it comes.' You prepared yourself for the worse. Instead of throwing words of anger at you, Jack grabbed your arm and pulled your close. "Everyone get lost!" He shouted loudly. When no one budged, Jack took the gun from you and fired into the ceiling a few more times. "I SAID BEAT IT! SEE YA NEXT YEAR!" People finally shift into gear. The CEOs strolled out calmly. The heads of the departments scampered out before them, like any smart Helios employee would. "Hey! You!" Jack grabbed one of the department heads by he collar. "Scoop him off of the floor and get him on the next shuttle out of here." He ordered sternly. The man nodded and began to escort Cedric out with haste.

"J-jack I-" You tried to apologize but Jack cut you off by tugging you out of the room, towards the elevator. 'Oh crap! He's going to vent me into space!' You panicked to yourself. He pulled your into the elevator and pressed the button for his office. Jack kept a firm, but gentle, grip on your arm as you road the elevator. You remained silent as you racked your brain, trying to find any excuse that could save your butt. The ding of the elevator made you snap out of your thoughts. 'Fuck! SHIT! MOTHER FUCKING- SHIT!'

Your boss pulled you out of the elevator and into his office, not saying a single word. You bit your lip as he finally released you. "Jack, I didn't mean to-" Before you could finish your apology, Jack's loud laughter interrupted you. Your eyes went wide as Jack double over. He put his hand over his masked face, unable to contain his laughter. "Oh my Helios! Ha ha ha! That was ha ha ha so fucking hilarious!" You made a confused face again. He.... thought it was funny? He wasn't mad?

"You're.... not mad at me?" "Mad?! How could be mad?!" He moved closer to you and set his hands on your shoulders, a wide grin plastered on his face. There wasn't a single hint of anger in his eyes. "That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen! I knew you were a bit of a badass, pumpkin but that was-" He had to stop to take in a breathe. "That was MY level of badass! The way you broke that moron's finger without the slightest bit of hesitation! The way you threatened to kill him! I couldn't have done it better myself!" He was praising you... for threatening to murder someone...?

You felt your lips curling into a small smile. Seeing him so happy made you want to smile. He was genuinely ecstatic about what you did. "Y-you really thought that was badass?" He nodded in response. "Of course! How could I not?" You let out a small chuckle. He was adorable when he was excited like this. 

Jack finally managed to control his laughter and calm down after five minutes. He still had a smile on his face as he starred at you. "Honestly pumpkin. You always know how to surprise me." You let your smile grow. "I was afraid you'd be mad at me. I thought I had embarrassed you..." You admitted. Jack snorted. "That was the greatest thing I've ever witnessed. I was so bored out of my mind talking to those idiots. If you hadn't decided to teach that idiot a lesson, I might have fallen asleep while pretending to listen to those bastards." Jack chuckled. 

"You were really that bored?" He nodded and walked towards the large window behind his desk. You followed. "When Angel told me you were talking to Cedric, I thought you might be in trouble. But you definitely proved me wrong. You can handle yourself just fine." He sighed with content. "Well, I wasn't about to let that twit talk to me like I was a pet." You admitted. Jack looked down at you, raising a brow. "What exactly did he say to you?" You rubbed your arm, looking away. 

"He said a few bad things about you. He mentioned me and you being together.... and hemighthavesaidhe'dgivemeajobashispersonalplaything." You quickly tossed out the last bit as one whole word. Jack's smile fell. "He said what?!" He seethed. "I'll kill that bastard!" Jack turned on his heel to go find Cedric but you grabbed his arm before he could take a step. "It's alright Jack! Really!" "It's not alright! That asshole-" You set your palm over the gun he was still holding. "It's really okay Jack. I handled it. I don't think he'll be showing up anytime soon." You soothed, slowly prying the gun out of his hand. Jack reluctantly handed it over. You smiled when he let go. 

"Just stay here with me okay? You can murder him some other day." You set the gun on his desk, not turning away from him. Jack gave a slow nod. "Alright... but I will kill him later."He promised. You giggled. "If you didn't, I'd think you were sick or something." You mused. Jack cracked a smile at that and relaxed his shoulders. You looked back out the window, watching Elpis. Jack joined you. "Thanks for getting me out of there." You whispered lightly. Jack looked down at you and chuckled. "Don't mention it pumpkin." 

Silence filled the room. You both just admired Elpis. Well, you were more or less admiring Jack secretly. You actually had fun for a change. If Jack hadn't insisted you be his date, you'd be at home alone, watching some crappy movie. Yeah, he had ignored you for some of the night but who cared? He could have just left you and headed back home without saying anything. He could have just let John forcibly take you as his date. Jack had saved you from John, took you out, laughed when you threatened a guy, then threatened to kill said guy himself. He wasn't the most romantic type but he truly made you feel special. 

As you starred out at Pandora's moon, Shannon's words surfaced in your head. 'You wanna smooch him.' You felt your cheek grow hot. You actually wanted to kiss him. Why wouldn't you? Glancing at him, you bit your lip. If there was ever a time to make such a bold move, it was now. But what if he shoved you away? What if he didn't like you that way? There was a good chance he didn't see you as anything other than an employee he could tease... 'Fuck it.' You'd never know unless you actually tried.

"Hey Jack?" You moved closer. "Hm?" He looked at you, brow raised. Without a shred of hesitation, you took hold of his shirt and pulled him close. Your lips met his and he froze. It was clear you caught him off guard. Good. That meant you could savor the moment for a few seconds. You kissed him a little harder, enjoying the fact he hadn't pulled away yet. His mask felt almost like real skin which was both a little creepy and pleasing. It was warm and soft. You wondered what kissing his real lips would be like. You'd never get to experience that but hey, you were allowed to wonder. 

Jack still hadn't budged after thirty seconds. He didn't kiss back, he didn't push you away, he did nothing. Was he waiting for you to finish so he could order you to leave or maybe make a joke? Did you over step your bounds? Unknown to you, Jack was completely blown away by your actions. He couldn't think straight. Was he imagining this? Was this reality? He wasn't sure what to do. This was literally the last thing he'd thought you'd ever do and yet, you were doing it!

You slowly began to pull away, making Jack snap out of his stupor. No! He wasn't ready for it over! Jack snaked his arms around your waist and pulled you close, kissing back finally. Relief and joy filled you as his arms tightened around you. You smiled in the kiss and slid your fingers into his hair. He made a pleased noise and moved his lips against your, deepening the kiss. 

You stay together for a good minutes before finally pulling apart. Even though the kiss had been calm and rather chaste, you felt out of breathe. You sighed happily and looked at Jack. He had a smile on his face. "Wow, kitten. Didn't think you had it in you." He teased. You chuckled. "Shouldn't that be my line? I thought I might have broken you for a second." You teased back. He squeezed your waist, keeping you firmly against his chest. He starred at you with suggestive eyes. Why did he have to look so irresistible? 

You leaned in to kiss him again. He began to lean in as well until he noticed something outside of his window. He halted, glancing at the window to see what it was. His eyes went wide when he realized it was John. You noticed his attention was on something other than you. Following his gaze, you froze at the sight of you co-worker. John's frozen corpse slowly drifted in front of the window. Jack looked form the corpse back to you. 'Crap,' was all he could think as he watched your mouth slowly fall open. 

'Damn it John. Even in death, you have to kill the mood.' Jack slowly began to release you. "I-is that John? Jack did you vent John?" You asked frantically, looking back at Jack. He looked away. "Nooooo...... maybe... okay, yes." He admitted. You looked at the dead guy outside then back at Jack. Jack swallowed, ready for you to pull away and yell at him. Maybe he could try to defend himself? John was an asshole after all. "Look, ______. I had to-" You gripped his shirt collar tightly and kissed him roughly, silencing him. Jack didn't wait as long this time to kiss back. He kissed back just as roughly, pressing your back against his desk. You were more than pleased knowing that John was gone. The jerk got what he deserved. Just like Jack was getting what he deserved for getting rid of him. 

You finally parted from Jack after who knows how long. You smiled up at him. "You know, usually when people are trying to be romantic, they buys flowers or chocolates. Not kill someone." He let out a low chuckled. "I don't see you complaining." You chuckled now and planted a sweet kiss against Jack's cheek. "I don't think I've ever received such a romantic gift before." You admitted quietly. Jack laughed lightly. "Anything for you, pumpkin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, i'm sorry for the wait. Things have been beyond hectic. But don't worry your pretty little heads; i'm not going to abandon this fic. I'm going to finish it and nothing is going to stop me!


	12. Life Is Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't regret it. John was an asshole and Jack got rid of him...." You toyed with the hole in the arm rest of your chair. "He did what heroes are supposed to do." You admitted shyly. God you felt like such a dork.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Freaking finally! SOrry for the long ass wait, kiddos. I finally got my own apartment and i have my computer set it. Sorry it's short but at least i got it done. Woo.

Angel stood at your left, Shannon at your right. They watched you intently with eager eyes. You ignored them, forcing all of your attention onto the gun before you. How long had they been standing there, watching and waiting for you to acknowledge them? About forty five minutes now. You knew very well what they wanted from you. The shit eating grins on their faces said it all. Nosy, lovable little shits. You had to admire their tenacity. You'd thought they'd get back to their own work after about ten minutes of getting zero response from you. Nope. They would wait until you finally broke, which unfortunately was drawing near. Your back was starting to hurt from hunching over the gun for so long.

You frowned as the pain in your lower back began to spread. With an annoyed sigh, you set your tools down and arched your back. "Alright..... what do you want to know?" The two instantly beamed. Shannon slammed her hands on the table, leaning in as close as possible. "How was it?" She questioned with a grin while Angel leaned closer. "How was what?" You began to roll your shoulder, refusing to look her in the eyes. Angel glanced at Shannon and giggled. 

Shannon's eager smile became a coy one as she inched closer. "How was kissing Jack?" She whispered casually. You froze. You expected it the question. You knew for a fact she would ask about that and yet, it still made you pause. Images of the previous night flooded your head. The memory of Jack's lips against yours made your face grow hot. You prepared yourself for this conversation this morning and it still managed to rile you up. Not to mention, having Angel look just as amused as Shannon made it harder to stay composed. Why the hell were they so invested in your love life? Why couldn't they harassed Doug and Penny about their blooming relationship? Why was yours so much more interesting to them? Well, it probably had a lot to do with the fact Jack was the deadliest man alive... who happens to be your boss. Okay, yeah, you could see the appeal in wanting to know every little detail. 

"Your blushiiiiing~" Angel cooed. You snapped out of your thoughts and looked away. "You guys are so damn nosy." You began to play with your sleeve. "Its..... I really liked it." You mumbled. Shannon giggled and grabbed you by the shoulders. "Tell us everything! Oh my Helios! I can't believe you did it! You have to tell us!" She gushed. Angel stood beside her, clapping her hands together. You blushed harder. 

"C-can we not scream and stuff in my office with the door open?" You glanced to the door, seeing two colleges duck away from the doorway. You had no problem telling your friends all of the details. You did, however, have a problem your entire department knowing. You shrugged out of Shannon's grip and quickly went to shut the door. When you turned back to the two, you found them already seated and ready for the story. You gave a sigh and rolled your eyes. 

As you walked back to them, you grabbed your old swivel chair and flopped down. "Who kissed who?!" Shannon blurted out the moment your ass met the seat. You bit your lip. "...I... kissed him both times...." "Both times! You kissed more than once?!" Angel latched onto the arm of your chair. You pressed yourself back against the chair, avoiding her eyes. "Yes." You admitted. Shannon latched onto the other arm. "Two kisses on the first date. I'm surprised at you, _______. I always thought you'd wait until the third date to start making out with him." She teased, making you glare. 

"I didn't plan it the second time! I mean I didn't plan out the first one either but still! He got rid of John and I just couldn't help it!" Both of their jaws dropped at that small bit of information. "HE KILLED JOHN FOR YOU?!" Both screeched, making you flinch. Hesitantly, you nodded, earning a loud gasp from both. "Oh my helios, ________! You kissed him because he killed John! What the hell?! Oh my-" "It's not like I told him to kill him! He just did it!" You attempted to defend. 

While Shannon looked very pleased with the news of John's demise, Angel looked horrified. "Whose john and why did he kill him?!" Unlike your other friends, you let angel know very little about John. You didn't want her involved with him at all. It had slipped your mind that she was completely unaware of what an asshole he was. You rubbed the back of your neck. "You know that guy that kept showing up and hanging out around here? He wanted me to go to the party with him.... well, I told him no and he got violent." You unconsciously ran your fingers over your jaw. "I guess Jack saw him harassing me while he did his speech and decided he needed to go sooo.... he vented him."

You peaked at Angel, unsure of what her reaction would be. Thankfully, she didn't seem angry. As a matter of fact, she looked pleased. "I knew there was something you weren't telling me about that guy. So my dad did it for a "good" reason." She eased into her seat. Shannon grinned. "You kissed him because he murdered a guy." She chuckled, her eyes quickly flickering behind you. You ignored her odd glances. 

"I don't regret it. John was an asshole and Jack got rid of him...." You toyed with the hole in the arm rest of your chair. "He did what heroes are supposed to do." You admitted shyly. God you felt like such a dork. Angel and Shannon covered their mouths, trying to keep in their giggles as they starred behind you. You rose a confused brow. Two new hands rested on your shoulders, turning you slightly.

"I'll gladly be your hero anytime, pumpkin." Jack whispered into your ear. Before your could say or do anything he planted a soft kiss to your cheek. Your eyes went wide and your face began to burn. Angel pretended to gag and Shannon merely laughed. You began to sputter in response, unsure what to say. It all took you by surprised. You were shocked by the fact you hadn't heard him enter but that wasn't what really caught you off guard. It was the kiss. Even then, it wasn't entirely the kiss itself, it was more of how domestic and comfortable it felt. It was so strange but so.... nice as well.

While you didn't know what to expect from Jack, this still bewildered you. You thought Jack might want to hold off on being affectionate in front of others. Maybe be a bit secretive but he seemed more then okay with displaying his affection in front of Angel and Shannon. You weren't against it. It made you feel special again. You didn't give a flying fuck about what anyone said about you. You had been weary earlier because you didn't know his feelings about it.

"Glad your happy to see me, pumpkin." Jack chuckled. It hadn't occurred to you that you had began to smile. You covered your mouth and cleared your throat. "M-Mornin' sir." You stuttered out. Stuttering? Really? What the hell was wrong with you? Jack chuckled again. Shannon and Angel both stood. "We're going to go grab some lunch. You two have fun." Shannon winked as she walked by. You were going to smother her later. Jack waved as the door shut behind them. 

As soon as you two were alone, you stood and turned towards Jack. he had a cocky grin on his face. "So... sir?" He questioned. You bit your lip. "You can't seriously be trying to act all formal after all of that making out last night." He stepped closer, his arms suddenly snaking around your waist. He pulled you closer, making you smile some. "What are you doing down here, Jack?" You asked softly. 

"Well, I figured Angel would be down here asking you all sorts of crap about last night. She did the same after I got home." He explained calmly. Slowly, your arms wrapped around his shoulders. "And I may have just wanted to come see how you were doing today." God that was so cheesy.... but you loved it. "So, you came to try to rescue me again?" You chuckled. He smiled at your light laughter. "There might have been one other thing." He admitted. You rose a brow. "Are you hungry?" 

It took you a moment to realize what he was really asking. You nodded, smile growing. "Already wanting a second date? So soon." You teased. He chuckled. "What can I say? The first one was a blast." Ugh. Cheese overload. If you hadn't been so content in his arms, you might had gagged at the amount of cheese in the air. "So, how about it? Wanna go grab some lunch?" He gave a hopeful look. "i'unno.... I do have a lot of work to do." You joked. "I guess I can spare a few for you handsome." He beamed at your response. He pulled away and headed to the door. You gladly followed, easily catching up with him.

People watched you and Jack as you walked by. At this point, people knew you two were close but they still couldn't help but stare. Some were amazed by the fact a lower employee was actual close to Jack; others were beyond jealous. You could see it in the way they looked at you. You tried not to pay them any mind but it was different having so many eyes focused on you. Those who were jealous looked ready to kill you then and there. The other just looked shocked. 

Among the glares you received, you recognized Hugo's. There was only one other person starring angry daggers at you and that was Nakayama. You didn't really give a crap about Nakayama. You did, however, enjoy seeing Hugo pout and grumble to himself. You probably shouldn't be reveling in his anguish but, like you've admitted many times before, you were no saint. As you passed him, you gave a cheeky grin and a wink. He fumed but remained in his spot. Jack was right beside you. As stupid as he was, he knew better than to do anything with Jack around. 

You turned your attention back to Jack when Hugo was out of sight. He hadn't noticed your actions, thankfully. "What do you feel like having, pumpkin? I can have 'em make anything." You looked up at him. "Hm... I like ____________. Think they can handle it?" Jack laughed. "If they can't then they'll end up with a bullet in the head." 

\-------

Jack took a massive bite of his pizza slice, enjoying every second of its oily goodness. You snorted at the face he made. "I swear its a miracle you haven't had a stroke yet." He looked at you with a confused face. "What d'you mean?" He spoke with a mouthful. You shook her head. "Angel told me about your eating habits. I can't believe pizza and pretzels is all you ever eat." You admitted. Jack swallowed and wiped his face. "That's not true. I eat other stuff." "scotch and whiskey aren't any better, Jack." You smiled. "I don't really understand why you don't try anything else. You have these cooks ready to prepare you whatever you like and you order pizza from the same place instead. Why?"

You took a bite of your food, watching him set his elbows on the table. "I'm the most powerful, deadliest man alive. There are A LOT of people who want me dead. I just... don't trust them. If one decides to get cocky and tries to poison me, then what?" He explained. You chewed slowly, listening intently. "We've got every antidote under the face of the sun but I'll still be sick afterwards. While I'm out, Angel would be alone. No one would be running the place. It would be a mess."

You gave a small hum and nodded. "I suppose I can understand...." You played with your food. "What did you think about those twice baked potatoes I made?" He stopped just before taking another bite of his pizza. "They were really good. Didn't angel tell you?" He took a bite. You nodded. "She did but I wanted to hear it from you." You glanced up at him. There was a long silence as he chewed and you thought over what to say. 

"What if I made you lunch everyday?" You finally said. He choked at your proposal. You reached over and began to pat his back. "Sorry. I just thought it would be a good idea." You apologized, now rubbing his back. He took a long drink of his soda. You waited patiently for him to catch his breath. When he finally managed to compose himself, he looked at you. 

"I'm sorry." You apologized again. "No. no. I like the idea." He confirmed. "It just caught me off guard." He chuckled. "I wasn't expecting you to offer something like that." You laughed. "Well... I like to cook and y'know, unlike some people I'd like it if you lived longer." You nudged his side lightly. "And maybe sometimes I could come over and make dinner." Jack gave a pleased smile. "Sounds like a plan, pumpkin." He edged closer. "Please tell me your sometimes part of the menu." He winked. You merely rolled your eyes. "I was starting to wonder when you'd throw a sexual joke my way." You shook your head. 

Jack watched you for a second before leaning in. He caught your chin and kissed you softly. You didn't freeze this time. Instead, you set your hand over his free one and kissed back. You could get used to this. Things were good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that i have my computer up and running, i can promise there won't be months in between each posts. I'll hopefully be getting back into my old routine with updates. thanks for your patience. love ya. ;3


	13. A Simple Concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack starred at his monitor, chewing absentmindedly on his thumb nail. He was lost in angry thought as he read over the report before him. He rapped his fingers against his desk harshly as he read it over again for the fifth time. Someone, some poor dumb idiot, had the audacity to steal five million credits right from under Jack's nose. Five million was chump change in his eyes but that wasn't the issue. It was the fact that they didn't even try to hide. They didn't shift it through multiple accounts or even through their own. They simple extracted it right from Hyperion's funds. Because of this, he had no clue who stole it. It could have been some mercenary from Pandora, a Hyperion accountant, even a simple code monkey could have done it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ya go Kiddos. I promised a new chapter for OCIBU on Christmas and I delivered.

You lazily fumbled with your apartment keys, trying to fight off the urge to fall asleep right there against the door. You're day hadn't been busy.... but it was just tiring. While you enjoyed spending time with Jack, it didn't change the fact that you weren't used to it yet. You were too painfully aware of everything you did around him. Multiple times, you restrained yourself from saying something or you'd catch yourself invading his space for to long. He never gave any indication of hating it but you worried about how it would look. For all you knew, he could be pretending to not notice these clingy actions. 

You frowned at the thought. No. You were just overreacting. This is was merely the puppy love stage of.... whatever kind of relationship you had with Jack. It was common to over analyze everything during this time. He was probably doing the same thing in his office right now. He was probably pacing back and forth, cursing himself for saying something overly cheesy... or too murderous. You cracked a small smile at the thought of him actually worrying about something he might have said. It was unrealistic since Handsome Jack never regretted a decision or choice of words but it was still a pleasant image. 

Finally finding the right key, you quickly opened the door. Why did you have so many keys in the first place? You glanced at the twenty keys taking up your key chain. "did I kill a janitor in my sleep and steal his keys? What the hell..." You shook your head and crammed them into your coat pocket. Stepping inside, you kicked off your shoes and peeled off your jacket. You hung it up and began to feel for the light switch. 

It took you a few small swipes to realize the lights were already on. You looked around in confusion. Was someone in your apartment or did you just forget to shut the lights off again.... Just to be safe, you grabbed a broom. Taking cautious steps, you looked around your living room. Nothing seemed out of place except for a jacket sprawled over the back of you couch. While it looked familiar, it definitely wasn't yours. You lowered your broom and picked up the jacket, looking it over. It was an ugly green color that reminded you of mashed peas. Who did this belong to? You had the name on the tip of your tongue. Damn it.

"Oh! ________ your-" Doug's voice startled you, making you drop the jacket and raised the broom. He let out a rather feminine shriek as you swung at him. He fell backwards in the most ungraceful fashion you'd ever witnessed and raised a defensive hand. "_____! Wait Wait! It's me!" You stopped mid swing and starred down at Doug. It took you a second to realize it was him. When it finally registered, you lowered your weapon and groaned. "Damn it Doug! Don't scare me like that! You know I hate being sneaked up on!" You pinched the bridge of your nose as he slowly got back to his feet. 

"I'm sorry! I thought you'd recognize my jacket or I don't know, hear me in the kitchen!" He snapped. You glared at him. "Why are you here dude? It's almost 11:30..." You set the broom aside and leaned against the back of your couch. You tapped your foot impatiently as you waited for his reasoning. Doug gave a light nervous chuckle. "Well ya see... I wanted to talk to you. I didn't know when I'd get the chance. You've been spending all of your time with Jack when you're not working. I knew the only way I'd get to really see you was in your apartment." He gave a small shrug. 

You relaxed your shoulders. "You just wanted to talk? Seriously? You know you could have just messaged me and I would have made time for you." You lectured. Doug simply rubbed the back of his neck, giving you an unsure look. "Not if Jack had anything to say about it..." He muttered to himself. "Excuse me?" You growled, crossing your arms. 

"Look, I came to talk to you about you and Jack being a thing." He explained. "Oh for the love of-" "No please, _________. Just listen to me okay? I'm only bringing it up because I'm a concerned friend. I don't want to fight with you." Doug gave you a pleading look, making you scoff and roll your eyes. "Please." He urged. You frowned before clicking your tongue. "Fine... but if you say anything I don't like, I will beat you with the broom again." You threatened as you climbed over the back of your couch. He perked slightly. "Fair enough." He hurried around to the other side of the couch to accompany you. 

You leaned back against the cushions and sighed. "Aright.... tell me what's wrong." You pulled your legs up to your chest and waited. Doug took a moment to access his thought before speaking. "Before I get to the main point, I want to make it clear I'm happy for you. I really am, I swear. " He quickly clarified. You rolled your eyes but gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"That being said," He cleared his throat, "I'm a little worried about you being with him." Doug pulled his jacket off of the back of the couch and toyed with the zipper. "It's nothing really against the guy it's just.... I don't want you to get hurt. Emotionally or physically." You frowned. "I don't think he'd actually hurt you but you can't be sure with someone like Jack. I know it sounds like I'm against him but I'm not. Its just... he has a rather long history of... well being violent." He reminded. 

"Jack would never do that to me." You huffed. "How do you know that?" Doug questioned sternly. You opened your mouth but faltered. "You don't! As much as we all want to believe he's not going to, there's always a chance he will. I'm not saying you have to stop dating him or whatever your doing... I'm just saying..." He rubbed his cheek. "Look, I'm just saying be careful okay. Shannon and Penny are both very onboard with you dating him and I am too, I'm just not on board with blindly ignoring his history."

Doug sighed and set his hand on your leg. "I'm really not trying to make him sound like a bad guy or anything. I'm just concerned." He assured you. You swallowed the lump that had formed in your throat and looked at his hand. While you didn't want to admit it, Doug had a few good points. There was no real way of knowing if Jack would some day decide to choke the life out of you or if he'd ever actually pull the trigger on you. You wanted to believe he never would. Yeah, he was a violent guy who said whatever he felt like saying but that didn't mean he'd do something to you. You frowned and pulled your legs closer to you. 

"I know it's selfish but can you promise me something?" Doug implored. You looked up at him and gave a small nod. "If he starts to act weird... or overly possessive, can you please just leave him or... come stay with me or Shannon for a while. Even if it a one time thing, I can't stand the thought of something happening to you. I can't stand the thought of losing my friend." 

You thought over his proposition a few times in your head before letting out a low sigh. "I promise." You mumbled quietly. "If anything happens, I'll come find you." You confirmed. Doug gave a relieved smile and moved closer, opening his arms for a hug. You starred at him, still letting the promise sink in. He meant well and was just looking out for you. As much as you wanted to be mad at him for it, you just couldn't. He was right and you knew it. His arms began to slump as he began to pull away. You quickly put a smile on and lunged at him, wrapping your arms tightly around him. He made a small 'oof' as you crammed him against the arm of the couch. You squeezed him tightly as you pressed your face into his shoulder. 

"Thank you for worrying about me." You whispered into his shirt. He wrapped his arms around you and squeezed back. "I'm always going to worry about you.... even though you tease me and hit me with brooms." You both laughed lightly at that. Slowly you pulled back. "Can you promise me you'll do the same if penny starts acting weird?" You joked. Doug snorted. "Totally. I'll tell you the moment she starts killing people and demanding I spend every free moment with her." He joked back. You both laughed again. 

\---------

Jack starred at his monitor, chewing absentmindedly on his thumb nail. He was lost in angry thought as he read over the report before him. He rapped his fingers against his desk harshly as he read it over again for the fifth time. Someone, some poor dumb idiot, had the audacity to steal five million credits right from under Jack's nose. Five million was chump change in his eyes but that wasn't the issue. It was the fact that they didn't even try to hide. They didn't shift it through multiple accounts or even through their own. They simple extracted it right from Hyperion's funds. Because of this, he had no clue who stole it. It could have been some mercenary from Pandora, a Hyperion accountant, even a simple code monkey could have done it. 

It infuriated him to know someone thought they could do something so cheeky and get away with it. He had May going through every file, every system, trying to figure out the asshole responsible for trying to work Jack over. So far, she had nothing which only made him fume more. 

Giving a frustrated groan, Jack slammed his fist down on his desk. "Those bastards think they can get away with this so easily." He began to type away commands into May's system. "May, put an extra tight lock down on all funds leaving and coming to Hyperion. Any transaction requires identification and clearance. This includes the accountants. If their identification number doesn't match their pay numbers, they don't get paid." "Yes sir." May responded. 

Jack smirked and leaned back in his seat, putting his hands behind his head. "Try beating that, you little shits." He chuckled. "Oh and put additional security with the cameras. If anyone is making a transaction, doesn't matter if it's from their comm or not, have a camera on them. If it's one of my employees, we'll catch that son of a bitch." He grinned. 

"Jack, who do you want to have clearance? Setting it now will prevent problems later." May clarified. Jack thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. "Me obviously. The heads of each department. Uh... Nisha because I know she'll still using my credits for whiskey..." He pondered for a moment. "And how about _______. I highly doubt it's them. Coding and theft doesn't really sound like them." He assured himself, rather than May.

"Understood sir.... Are you sure about ______ having access?" She dared to question. Jack shrugged. "I'm not giving them full access. They still require their identification. If they do end up making any transactions, I'll know about it." He leaned back in his seat. "Don't worry, May. I've got this under wraps. Just make sure those locks go into effect today. We can't have another five million go missing." He stated proudly, setting his ankle over his knee. "Yes, sir." The AI acknowledged. 

He remained silent for a moment before removing his arms from behind his head. "May, how's my schedule looking for tomorrow?" He questioned, looking to the picture of Angel on his desk. "You have two meetings tomorrow. One with the heads of each department at 11 and one with the board members at 3." Jack frowned at the news. He clicked his tongue. "Cancel both. If anyone ask, tell 'em I'm on Pandora or something. I'm taking tomorrow off." He claimed happily. He'd be damned if he spent all day in a meeting room with a bunch of assholes when he could be spending it wit Angel and you.

"Where will you actually be?" May asked. He made a small hum in response. "Spending time with my sweet Angel and ________." He answered truthfully as he stood. "I'm heading up to the penthouse. See you later."

"Have a nice night, sir."


	14. An explosive ingredient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Unless there's a random bandit on Helios trying to kill you..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry i haven't posted anything almost all month. Been busy. Sorry sorry. And sorry about this being a little short.

Shuttle rides were definitely not his thing. The way it would occasionally bump or make some off putting creak unsettled Damien. He glanced to Hugo to see if it bothered him at all. The man looked as unfazed as a piece of toast left in the sun. The fact they were in space rather than solid Pandoran ground didn't make Damien feel any better. He wasn't a fan of the space travel. Hell, he wasn't even a fan of travelling to Helios but this gig was worth to much for him to disregard it. At a certain point, Damien began to bounce his foot, counting up every time his heel hit the ground. It wasn't help he was starting to lose count every time the shuttle bumped. 

He grumbled to himself, catching Hugo's attention finally. "Calm down, buddy. We're almost there." He gave a half assed reassurance. Damien just shot him a glare. "We aren't buddies." He hissed. Hugo shook his head, looking back out his windows. "You could at least try to act as though you're happy about getting paid all of those credits and screwing over your sibling. Sounds like a win-win to me."

Before the bandit could reply the shuttle gave a harsh thud, making him freeze. Hugo unbuckled himself and stood. "We're here. Come on." He glanced to Damien and snorted. "Serious. Calm down. If I wanted you dead, I would have shoved you out of the shuttle right as we left Pandora." He chuckled as he adjusted his tie and headed to wards the exit. Damien scowled and undid his buckle with an irritated face. "Just shut up." He crossed his arms, following Hugo out. 

\--

Damien looked around in disgust while he squirmed and attempted to fix his suit. "This place is even shittier than I imagined." He complained. "And this suit is uncomfortable." Hugo looked to him then rolled his eyes. "Quit fidgeting so much. You look suspicious." He huffed. He lightly shook his head as they walked past some of his underlings. "You're only here for a week. After that, you can burn the suit alright?" The broader man assured Damien.

The bandit couldn't help but cross his arms and grumble to himself. He looked around again and pretended to gag. "Why so much yellow? it's such an obnoxious color." He gestured to the walls and posters with Jack's face on them. "How can you even stand this asshole?" He continued to complain, making Hugo pinch the bridge of his nose. "Look, do you want the rest of those credits or not?" he turned to the man, irritation written all over his face. "I know there are plenty of bandits on Pandora willing to take the rest." He threatened. 

Damien gave a small "tch" and looked away. "Fine! fine." he tapped his foot impatiently. "Why do you even wanna get back at my sibling anyways?" You still haven't told me why." He looked at Hugo with a brow raised. "Did they steal your promotion or something?" Hugo didn't reply immediately which made him even more suspicious. "Pfft. No. They doesn't even work in the same department as me." The business man shrugged it off as he began to walk again. 

"Then why do you-" Damien paused when it finally clicked in his head. "They rejected you!" he suddenly shouted, pointing a judgmental finger at the man. The people around them suddenly looked to them with confused expressions. Two of them being Rhys and Vaughn. Hugo tensed under their curious gaze making Damien begin to laugh hysterically. "Ah hahahah! Oh my god! _______ wouldn't boink you so you want to get the-" Before he could finish his thought, Hugo slapped his hand over his mouth. "Shh! Shut up! You're making a scene!" He quickly pulled Damien into his office and slammed the door. Damien squirmed in his grip before pushing his hand away. "Lemme go!" He stumbled back slightly, wiping his face. "You smell like cheap cologne and self loathing." he hissed. 

Hugo looked insulted for a quick second before clearing his throat. "Keep your voice down. You almost told everyone out there our plan." he strolled past the bandit and sat casually at his desk. Damien rolled his eyes and plopped down in the seat in front of Hugo's desk. "Doubt it. Most of you idiots can't even add." He mumbled to himself before sitting up. "Do you even have a plan? Or it is just, show up and steal credits?" He tossed his legs lazily over the arm of his chair as he waited for Hugo to elaborate. 

The business man scrunched up his nose as the man made himself comfortable in his office. "Well." he started. "We can't just steal credits like I did before. Jack noticed the amount I took and has put down extra security." Hugo explained while he scratched his beard. Damien shot him a dirty look, obviously displeased with the news. 

“You can’t be serious? Did you even try to hide that someone stole that much money?” He groaned, slapping his hand over his face. “Why must you Hyperion bozos make things so complicated?” He ran his hands down his face, sighing. “You’re lucky I have just the tool for this kind of crap.” 

Hugo rose a brow before leaning forward, resting his chin on his knuckles. “What kind of tool?” He tilted his head like a curious puppy. Damien flashed him a wicked grin as he pulled a small trinket out of his pocket. “See this little thing?” He ran his thumb over the small pattern on it. “This sweet little party favor has helped me steal and ruin more lives than you could possibly imagine.” He explained. Hugo’s eyes went wide with interest. Damien just grinned wider, a cruel gleam hidden in his eyes.

“Get a good scan of them and I can work my magic for you.” He promised as he held out the trinket. "Get me their ID card as well. I don't think I can do much without it. And I don't think they'll miss it to much. Having the infamous CEO as they're sugar daddy defeats the purpose of using their ID." He chuckled, mostly at the thought of you getting a sugar daddy. Who in their right mind would want a crippled idiot like you? Nothing was sexy or appealing about having robot bits. Or, at least, that's how Damien saw it. His eyes flickered to Hugo for a quick second. This moron seemed interested in you enough to feel scorned by your rejection. 

Hugo reached out, hesitating for a moment. Damien noticed him stalling and gave a quick sigh. “Hugo, buddy, pal…” He sat up and pressed the trinket into his palm. “Now's not the time for hesitation. I’m already here. You’ve already stolen all of that money. No going back.” He released Hugo’s hand and watched him for a second. If he needed to, he’d gladly threaten the poor idiot. Hugo slowly took the trinket and looked it over for a second. He quickly tucked it into his pocket and gave Damien a grin. “Who said anything about hesitation? I’m excited.” Damien smirked and sat back in his seat, chuckling darkly.

“That’s more like it.”

\---------

 

You leaned over you desk, looking over the papers laid over it. You rested your elbow on top of the cold metal and chewed the end of your pen. Loud music filled the room like usual. Angel had yet to show up so you decided to actually do some paperwork for a change. Being a engineer meant you didn't typically deal with piling papers but seeing as how you never actually did the paperwork in the first, it tended to accumulate over time. They were simply recordings of everything you'd had to work on recently. The loader Bots, the fire based guns, etc. 

Glancing to the mount beside you sighed. Slacking had really caught up with you. Normally, you'd never let the pile get this bad. Then again, you normally didn't go to the Hyperion annual parties or go on... dates? Should you call them that? Well, it was one date. A simple lunch. You didn't really consider the Hyperion party a date. That was just an outing with Jack and your friends. The lunch with just Jack however; that was definitively a date. With all of the sweet talking and kissing. 

You cracked a smile as you signed your name on the bottom of one of the records. You read over the report once more, making sure everything was accounted before putting it aside in the done pile. "Another one done." You huffed while smacking your pen against the table to the beat of the music. You stared at the small yet worthy finished pile, making a small pout. "Uuuuggghhh...." You moaned and laid your head down. 

"Someone seems a little bored." A familiar voice mumbled into your ear as a firm hand cupped your butt. You jumped slightly before giving a small huff. "You're so lucky I wasn't holding a wrench." You peeked over your shoulder at Jack while reaching to shut your music off. Jack merely chuckled and pulled you back against him. "Is that a threat, pumpkin?" He smirked and rested his chin on your shoulder. You cracked a small smile. "Not much you could do to me if it was." You countered confidently. Jack spun you around, giving a dark chuckle. "Wanna bet?" He asked.

You stared at him quietly for a moment before giving a small snort. You pushed on his chest, laughing lightly. "Jeez, you're such a dork." You brushed off his silly flirt. "What do you want, handsome?" You rested your rested your arms over his shoulders, smiling. Jack set his hands on your hips and gave a thoughtful hum. "Well. I couldn't help but notice my favorite little engineer was a little bored.... I thought I might have to be the knight in shining armor again and come rescue you." He slid his arms around you, pulling you closer. 

"Rescue me from... paperwork?" You snickered and slid your fingers into his hair, feeling the fire starting to burn in your chest. Whenever you had close moment this with Jack, you felt a warmth spread through your ribs. It was a nice feeling if you were honest. "Unless there's a random bandit on Helios trying to kill you... then yes paperwork." He chuckled. "My hero." You rolled your eyes. "Alright... what did you have in mind?" You gave in. Why do work when you could spend time with Jack? Anything beats doing actual work.

Jack perked and squeezed your waist. "I have a few ideas." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, making you laugh again. "In your dreams, handsome." You shook your head. "How about we take a walk around R&D and I show you all of the creatures?" He asked with a pleading look. You tapped your chin while making an unsure face. "I don't know..... I do have a lot of work..." You tried to hide your smile. "Please, pumpkin. I promise it'll be fun. Don't make me beg." He jutted his lower lip out and gave you his best puppy eyes. Now you completely understood where Angel learned to do that.

You gave a playful sigh of defeat then smiled. "Lead the way handsome." You took hold of his hand and planted a light kiss to his cheek. "Paperwork can wait."

\---

You marveled at the skag exhibit from the bench you decided to perch yourself on while Jack took care of something. You could only assume he was strangling the life out of someone at the moment for screwing up the last exhibit. Jack seemed so enthusiastic about it but the poor stalker looked as dead as they come. From the looks of it, it was corroded to no end. You decided it was best to let Jack do his thing while you simple sat back and looked at the rest of the creatures. He'd eventually rejoin you. 

The fact him killing people didn't bother made you stop to question your morality a couple of times and maybe think over what Doug had told you. The thought of that night made your stomach twist. Jack had only ever really threatened you once and you put an end to that the moment it began. You still refused to fully believe he'd harm you. One of the skags in the exhibit were more likely to harm you. You let out a long sigh, and slumped in your seat. 

"Something wrong, pumpkin?" Jack suddenly appeared beside you with a concern face. You jumped slightly at his sudden presence but smiled. "You really need to start wearing a bell or something Handsome." You chuckled. "Everything is fine. Just thinking." You looked back to the skags. "Did you fix the problem?" You dared to ask. Jack gave a slightly nervous chuckle and ran his fingers through his hair. "Of course. Just told the guy not to do it again." he lied. You rolled your eyes and gave him a skeptical look. Reaching up, you used your sleeve to clean off the small bit of blood on his face. "Uh huh. Sure." You pulled back and showed him the blood on your sleeve. He frowned and swallowed harshly. 

"The guy had it coming! He forgot to give the stalker the sla-" You began to laugh, cutting him off. "Jack. You don't have to explain yourself. Seriously." You edged closer and snuggled up against his side, smiling. "If I had a problem with you killing people, do you seriously think I'd be spending time with you right now?" You asked with a brow raised. Jack slowly shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You're not the only one with bloodied hands." You assured him, nuzzling his shoulder. Jack finally let a smile take over his features. He chuckled and set his hand over yours. "You definitely are something, pumpkin."

Jack laced his fingers with yours and set his head against yours. "So... what were you so lost in thought about?" He inquired, watching the Skags skulk around their room. You tensed slightly, debating whether to tell him or not. Telling him might end with him going after Doug. You didn't want that... but you also wanted to actually hear him say he'd never hurt you. Biting your lip, you looked up at him. he looked down at you, smile in place. If there probably wouldn't be a better time to ask him. You had been dating for about three months now. 

"Um..." You looked down at your intertwined hands and gave a light squeeze. "You wouldn't... um..." You fumbled to try to find the words. Jack rose a brow. "I wouldn't... what?" He asked a little more concerned this time. Your stomach began to twist again, making you flinch some. Sucking in a deep breath and putting on a smile, you looked up at him. "Would you mind if we went and got something to eat? I didn't really get the chance to eat breakfast this morning." You asked quickly, avoiding the original subject completely.

It wasn't a good enough setting to ask. It just felt like the question would backfire. You didn't want him to get mad at you or Doug. You just wanted to spend some peaceful quality time with him... You'd eventually ask him. In a more private place.

Jack's chuckle snapped you out of your thoughts. "Of course. Why didn't you say so? We could have eaten something before coming here." He stood, still holding your hand. "If you want it pumpkin, just ask and you shall receive." he promised. You stood and gave his hand a squeeze again. "Thanks." You smiled and began to walk with him. The moment he looked ahead, you frowned and silently scolded yourself. way to almost ruin the mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to try to make a quick valentines one shot and post it on valentines day but stuff happened. Sorry. hopefully i can get back tp posting maybe every weekend or at least every other weekend. Thank you for your patience.


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